Legacy Of Loneliness
by LeviLemon
Summary: There are many stories where girl meets boy and they have a future together that ends in happiness, but what happens when his past catches back up to him and the secrets he carries with him start to destroy the life they built together. Follow this AU Marco Diaz as he continues his legacy of loneliness and the challenges that come with it. - Created With Mr Black Cat/Sakicakes
1. Chapter 1 - Lone Marco

**Legacy Of Loneliness**

 **A/N: Greetings :) This Fanfiction is a collaborative effort between myself and Mr Black Cat. The concept and ideas for the stories are his and I'll be help turning it from that into a story you will all enjoy :) So please join us on this AU story of Star VS The Forces of Evil :)**

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The crowd of villagers watched on with mouths opened wide in disbelief at the sight unfolding before them. For weeks the settlement had been violently attacked by a wild and vicious Hydra. The beast with multiple heads had raided the village's herds and killed all their cattle. After preying on their livelihood it had turned on the villagers themselves. The capable men and women of the village had taken up arms to defend their home only to return severely dwindled in number and in horrible conditions. Limbs were torn off by the beast leaving only the elderly and children to care for those wounded and await their timely death.

They had tried to send word out for aid but the husk of human flesh that was tossed back dismissed their hopes of ever receiving aid. They barricaded themselves in the village hall and waited for the end. Some days, the beast wouldn't come but others it would smash buildings apart looking for more prey. After evading the Hydra, for a week already, they knew their time was up when out of the blue a knocking could be heard on the door.

The village chief had lived a long life seeing even his grandchildren grow old and was not afraid of death. He rose from the bunker in the hall and made his way to the door. The knocking continued. It was firm and consistent but not over bearing. The aged man reached the door only to find a child wearing a red hooded jacket waiting to meet him. The chief immediately grabbed him and pulled him inside checking outside for the violent man-eating beast.

"Are you deranged child? Do you not know the horror that walks our streets? Where are your parents?" The elder questioned the boy. The boy looked up at the man revealing his face for the first time. He had tanned skin and a small mole on his cheek, brown eyes and auburn hair. His red hoodie was joined with a white top, black trousers and black shoes. The man couldn't recognise the style of clothing.

"Sorry, I was just passing through and needed somewhere to stay. I'm not sure what horror you're referring to though and my parents.. They're not around.." The chief noted that in the boys eyes he hid great pain and hurt. His eyes showed the image of an older man, one who had witnessed sights that would never be forgotten. The Chief sighed at the boy.

"I'm afraid you will find no solace here young man, there is a terrible creature haunting our village and has claimed many a life. I can only offer you condolences as very likely we will not survive this place". The old man felt tears start to form on his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned wondering what they had done to deserve such a fate and why the poor boy had been dragged into it. He looked again at the boy who was deep in thought, he couldn't be older than 14 thought the man.

"Well in that case I'll keep moving, I was meant to meet a friend at the village just over the hill but if what you said is true they might already be dead.. A shame really, he was the first friend I'd made in a while. I'll take care of your pest problem for you on my way out." Before the old man could stop him the red hooded boy strolled back out the building. He began to call out loudly hoping to attract the Hydra.

The other village dwellers who were able enough to move poked their heads out to see the old man trying to chase after him. They hesitated to follow and when they did their mouths fell wide open as they were stunned with shock. In front of their eyes was one of the Hydra's severed heads, its blood gave off steam on the cold day as it ceased its movements. They looked up the see the boy jump between the heads tricking the hydra into biting into its own neck. It recoiled in pain as he slid down its neck, back and then tail with his dagger piercing its hide and tearing its flesh. It shrieked loudly as he dodged its erratically waving limbs and sliced off another head. It looked down at the empty spaces where blood poured out realising that its heads were not growing back. He raised his daggers and ran at the creature. In fear of the boy who was tearing it apart it tried to swat him away with its tail.

It watched as the boy disappeared only moving after recoiling in pain. Looking down at the boy who now stood beside it's detached tail the hydra saw his daggers glow brightly before returning to a metallic look. It tried to run away from its hunter realising it was no match but as if walking on air the boy was following close behind it. He cut the tendons on its knee's forcing it to slide across the ground before he systematically rendered the creature dead. By the time he was done the hydra was nothing more than severed heads and a pile of flesh. He removed the hide and slid it into his bag. It was one of the trophies of his journey as it worked like a games storage slot and took whatever he wanted into it never filling up or changing weight storing it inside an artificial pocket dimension. He turned back to the villagers and started to wipe the blood off his clothes. Once he was sure he had gotten enough off he reached into his bag and pulled out a small blue box. He crushed it inside his palm and a blue wave of light began to circle him, settling to reveal no dirt on the boy. He looked up at the Chief and tried to put on a smile.

"Never good to travel without the right equipment, hygiene 101" Silenced followed as no one replied to his comment. He sighed before flicking the blood off his knife and walking away. It wasn't the first time people had been horrified at his technique to slay monsters. He had saved many people before only to be seen as the monster when he had displayed abilities beyond his own. He didn't really care after all no matter how many people or creatures he could ever slay he would never top the monsters he knew existed and deep down he knew it wasn't their fault. People always feared what they didn't understand as all he had done was replace the horrible monster with a strange child that could easily hurt them. It wasn't that he would hurt them but the potential that they didn't understand that scared them. He was used to it. He walked a few steps before being grabbed from behind. He turned to strike his attacker only to pause at the old man cowering from his fist.

"Oh.. Sorry sir.. You surprised me.." He felt ashamed for scaring the old man like that. His parents had not raised him to hurt the elderly.. His parents..

"No, please forgive me.. I should not have brazenly stuck to you after you were just in battle.. But i cannot let you leave.." The old man paused to catch his breath. The boy knew what followed. They'd try making him stay only to report him to the authorities. He'd have to explain he wasn't from this dimension and they'd threaten him or try to arrest him and he'd have to hurt them getting free. It was why he couldn't return to the dimension he had just left because he was now wanted as a fugitive. He was about to leave when the old man finished his sentence.

"I cannot let you leave.. ..without thanking you for all you have done for us."

"Huh?"

"Why are you confused? I want to thank you with all my heart for saving us and freeing us from that foul creature. With it gone we can seek aid and try to save the lives of those wounded. Without your help we would all have been doomed to die. Please accept my thanks and these gifts. They are not much but it is all we have to give you." One of the village children ran over to the old man and passed a handful of items. He bowed to the hooded boy before returning to the crowd. The old man thrust the items into the boys hands.

A chain mail vest he knew he could wear under his top which would prove useful. It looked like it was old but the shine never failed and the metal had not rusted. It did not weigh as much as the boy would have thought meaning it would either offer little protection or was made of a special kind of metal. The other two gifts consisted of a bag of food ranging from meat to fruit and a bag of gold coins. He had gotten good at guessing the amount from the weight after several botched business deals and guessed in Earthen money it was around $650 worth. He removed his top and slid the chain mail over his scarred and toned body before putting his clothes back on. He put the rest in his bag before turning to the old man.

"Thank you for your gifts i shall treasure them, i wish you all the best in the future." He went to leave when a few smaller hands grabbed at his leg. He looked down to see a group of children looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Sowwy Mista, i just wanted to ask what your name was?" The oldest of the children asked him. The old man went to lecture them but the boy held his hand up to let him know it was okay. He looked down at the children remembering a time when he was that innocent and curious and couldn't help but want to meet their expectations.

"My name is Marco Diaz, I'm a dimension traveller... It's not important really." He ruffled their hair and walked away. They called after him thanking him and wishing him luck. He didn't turn back but raised his hand to acknowledge their gratitude. Marco realised it had been a while since he had been thanked for his actions or when he had stuck around long enough to be thanked. As he walked through the forest of torn down trees he wondered what about that village had made him stop. He always tried to help out when asked or when he could see wrongs being committed if he didn't he'd be no better than the monsters out there across the many dimensions but he had never purposely put himself into a situation like that before. Any fool could tell that village was doomed without aid, most would assume it was already only filled with corpses but he had taken time from his plans to find out. He shook off the thought as he reached the remains of the village comically named 'New Beginnings'.

He walked through the wreckage aware of the fact that there was no remains left behind. The hydra must have feasted on all the townsfolk before heading over to the village he had come from. He headed to the building that looked like it could be a bar and began to dig. Under the rubble he found a bag he recognised. Inside was an unbroken bottle of tequila and a pair of scissors, they had pale gold blades with bluish-grey handles and a fireball-like emblem on the centre hinge. He unscrewed the bottle downing half and then proceeded to pour the rest onto the ground.

"I may have only known you for a few weeks but you were a good friend to me. I was hoping it would be us together who would raise the forces of good against the evil of my past.. But I guess destiny isn't our friend. Thank you for looking after my scissors and I share this last drink with you as both a celebration of your life and well wishes for the next. Goodbye" Marco sat down on the broken building and twirled his scissors in his hands. 16 years he had taken to win these babies off of a fiery demon of a gal. He had met her 1 year ago his time while trying to scale up the Sorrow filled Mountain of Doom. After helping her find a rare type of ore she was searching for she offered him to do her trial. He knew time would flow differently and with access to different dimensions his quest would speed up. He gave it everything he had but it was no easy feat. Still, he had completed it. She asked him to stay with her but he had a goal that he couldn't give up for anyone. He needed to keep moving as if he let himself stay in one place for too long he didn't know if he'd have the strength to go on alone anymore.

He ran his hands alongside the engraving as the sun passed overhead. He suddenly found himself squinting as some light was reflected into his eyes. He covered the scissors thinking it was them only to discover it wasn't them after all. He looked back to the bag and realised it wasn't empty. He pulled out a small glittery card that caused the sunlight to bounce off of it. He tried hard to read the letters on it before remembering that the language was one he'd learnt in Heckapoo's dimension.

"Come to the Bounce Lounge, Only the coolest place around". Marco recognised the name he'd heard both Heckapoo and his late friend mention it before. He stood up slowly realising the half a bottle he downed had quite the effect on him. He looked at the card and memorised the dimensional co-ordinates, without being there before this was the only way to get to a new dimension without guessing at random.

"Guess I should check it out, nothing left for me here." Marco opened up a portal and stepped inside leaving the wake of death silent behind.

/

Star Butterfly was a 13 (about to turn 14) year old girl. She had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and red hearts decorating her cheeks. Today was the day before her birthday and she was bouncing off the walls. Literally. She raced around the castle sliding down banisters and jumping over the servants in a fit of hyper joy. Tomorrow was the day she got her royal wand and became not just a Princess but a magical Princess.

Her parents watched her run up and down the castle both looking at the wand in the Queen's hand worried of what was to come.

"Are you sure you think its the right time Moonpie?" Asked the short muscular king.

"It's not about what i think River, it is tradition. Whether we like it or not tomorrow Star becomes the owner of the Butterfly Wand and begins her training... We just have to hope for the best." As she finished her sentence she heard a crashing in the hallway followed by Star yelling out "My Bad!"

Star ran back up the stairs and leapt wildly onto her bed as her mirror phone began to ring. She quickly answered it to see a floating Pony head.

"Hey B-fly! Girl you are not still at that castle when i know i told you that the most awesomest place in all the dimensions would be hosting the most amazing fabulous being ever created... Me" She raised her eyebrow at the blonde girl.

"Oh Pony Head! I want to go I really do but my parents won't let me when my wand giving ceremony is tomorrow.." Star admitted deflated. Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes widened and watered.

"Oh no don't you give me that face. No way you are not going to be here. Let me pull a few strings and get you a ride!" The floating Pony Head turned back to the room full of people behind her.

"Hello! Be quiet! I am talking! I have a princess in trouble here that needs a portal to this dope place and lacking a means to make it happen. Any of you fine and not so fine, looking at you over there, people got a pair of Scissors to let a lady have a good time!" At first Star thought she had been ignored as everyone carried on dancing and moving when a boy came over to her wearing red.

"Hello handsome you wanna help a pony out?" Star could see the boy was a bit uncomfortable with Pony Head but offered up his scissors to her which she immediately cut open a portal that appeared beside Star. She quickly got changed and did her hair before jumping through the portal and landing into the arms of her helpful stranger.

"Erm.. Sorry.." She managed to say to him as he lifted her up and placed her back down. He brushed all the glitter that had followed her through her room and looked up to her.

"No problem, Just happy to help." Pony Head passed his scissors back to him using her tongue which he took in a handkerchief before placing it in his pocket. He went to leave when Star grabbed at his shoulder finding herself being flung through the air. With her long history of combat and fighting she quickly regained her stance and jumped back to punch him only for him to catch her fist.

"Sorry about that.. Bad habit of people sneaking up on me" He admitted uncomfortably. He was then met by Pony Head who started to have a go at him for assaulting her best friend. Star looked on in awe realising this boy probably around her age had bested her. He'd thrown her before she could react and caught her fist. No one anywhere near her age could match her physically and this boy could. Not only that had he helped her get here and then helped her up. The most significant thing was that he didn't treat her any differently even though she was royalty. She found herself admiring the boy and ended up cutting up Pony Heads rant.

"I'm terribly sorry about my friend Mr..."

"Diaz, Marco Diaz.." He replied.

"..Mr Diaz Marco Diaz, I'm sorry we got onto the wrong foot. Let me make it up to you by showing you an awesome time. I don't mean to be rude but you seem like a first timer!" She held her hand out for the boy.

"It's just Marco, Diaz is my surname and is it that obvious?" He asked nervously.

"Yes Marco it is, you can spot a first timer here a dimension away. I will be your guide for this evening" He shook her hand and smiled at her.

"You still haven't told me your name?" Marco reminded the girl.

"Oh sorry... My name is Star Butterfly Princess of the Butterfly Kingdom on the Dimension of Mewni. Honoured to meet you." Star performed a formal curtsey only to then laugh with the boy. She hadn't noticed but Pony Head on seeing how much Star had taken to the boy had floated off texting into her status. 'BflyXRedHood, know when to give my G-Friend her space!'

The rest of the evening Star showed Marco around the bounce lounge from the super bouncy clouds to the banging tunes of the dance floor. She showed him the fizzy sparkly drinks that would make you glow different colours and almost choked on hers when he turned bright pink. The two partied hard before heading to the photo booth.

"Oh no i left my purse at home!" Star moaned remembering she had left it when she had headed out in a rush.

"Does it take gold coins?" Star turned to see Marco with a small coin purse. Her smiled lit up brightly before grabbing the bag, sliding in a coin and hopping into the Booth with Marco. A few minutes later the two were waiting for their photos when one of the guys from the lounge walked past and slapped the Princess' arse while whistling at her. She had turned to confront him only to find Marco had already punched the guy in the nose breaking it and causing it to bleed. One of the bouncers ran up to the group and demanded answers.

"I dwidnt dwo Anytwing" the downed boy managed to say while trying to stop the blood. The bouncer looked up at Marco and Star as if demanding their side.

"He slapped my friends arse and sexually harassed her. Not sure what dimension this is but as far as I'm concerned common decency doesn't change that much" Marco replied coldly. His story was supported by a few random on lookers and the bloody boy was escorted out. He looked down at his knuckle to see blood dripping. He must have grazed it when fighting the hydra as no normal person would leave him with a mark. He heard Star struggling to find what to say behind him and went to leave not wanting to be called a freak again only for her to grab his shoulder again. Instincts kicked in as he flipped her over his shoulder only to find himself flying into a mountain of pillows. He landed upside down and looked up at the girl smiling down at him.

"Same trick won't work twice Marco.. Look.. Thank you for sticking up for me.. No one really even bothers as they all think i can take care of myself... It was nice really.. Please don't run off.. I'm having an awesome night.." She admitted. She recognised the look on his face. She'd seen the same face on a servant before who had tripped and spilled soup all over her one time. She had been a new worker and the horror of the looming judgement from her parents had shown on her face as she begged forgiveness.. She had been fired, Star had been told for failing her duties but she had never seen her again. She reached out to pick him up again wanting to understand what he was so afraid of but being too scared to ask.

"Ermm.. Okay.. I'll stay.. Sweet throw though, never saw it coming.." He mumbled trying to readjust to the girl. He wasn't sure how to deal with her as she wasn't judging him, wasn't calling him freak or something akin to it or harbouring ill will towards him.

"I know, I'm stronger than I look.. But dude chill.. Let's just enjoy our night." She grabbed his reluctant hand and dragged him to the dance floor. He found himself feeling things he hadn't for so long that he wasn't sure what they were called. At one point he passed a cubicle with a mirror and realised he was smiling. Fun. That was the feeling he was having. He wiped the smile off his face not letting himself enjoy the moment too much, he wasn't allowed to forget the past and enjoy himself. His actions didn't go unnoticed by Star making her frown. When the end of the night came and most people had either passed out on the cushions or headed home. He opened a portal for her and went to say goodbye.

"You know Princess, I actually had a lot of fun tonight, thank you for the tour and for not judging me for punching that dude, I know it wasn't chill but I couldn't forgive him." Marco looked down at the ground not wanting to meet her gaze when she wrapped her arms around him. He felt panic and fear build up inside him not knowing how to react, it had been a long time since he had felt physical contact from someone else.

"No thank you Marco, truthfully I was nervous about the big day I'm going to have tomorrow and I wanted a chance to let it all out and thanks to you I did that.. I really did have a blast tonight too. Thank you..." Star hesitated before continuing to talk.

"Look.. I'm.. I'm having a very important ceremony tomorrow.. I'm getting given a family heirloom that means the next stage in my life as a Princess and I don't really have anyone coming as a friend. Pony Head said she's busy and can't make it and well the other people I know aren't exactly people I want around at the moment.. So if you are free.. I don't want to inconvenience you.. But if you are free I'd love for you to attend as my friend.." It was Star's turn to look at the floor as she asked. Unsure of why she couldn't match his gaze she avoided his eyes. She felt stupid for even asking and wished she could take it back when he spoke.

"I'm free tomorrow.. Is it a black tie sort of thing or wear what you want?" She looked up with a big smile as he was rummaging through his bag.

"BlacktieI'llseeyoutomorrowbyemarcobye" Star rushed out before disappearing into the portal leaving Marco standing there confused. He hadn't really wanted to go but couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet people with power and influence. He could use their aid at a later time if the past caught up with him. He didn't want to admit to himself but he had grown to like the girl and trust her, not something he would usually do but he felt pulled over when she had called him her friend. He's one and only friend.

He smiled before grabbing a large cushion from the corner and pulling a blanket from his bag and settling down for the night.

/

Marco looked at the mirror he had pulled from his bag. He'd taken advantage of the full bathroom at the Bounce Lounge to grab a much needed shower. Cleansing cubes were useful but nothing beat a traditional shower. He had pulled out a black suit with a white shirt. He slipped it on and did his tie. He picked a red flower from the ground and slid it onto his chest. After checking his appearance for the last time he walked up towards the castle marvelling at the multi-coloured wonder before him.

"Halt! Only invited guests may enter" Marco felt two spears pushing against his neck and held back all urges to rip them from their owners hands and plant them back inside their chest cavities. He breathed out slowly as inside his head he told himself that they weren't his enemy. They weren't the ones responsible for all of his trouble and didn't deserve that. Sometimes he let his rage get the better of him but usually it was a well-earned event. He didn't want to make a scene here and cause trouble for his new friend so he calmed down and ignored the metal being pushed against his neck.

"I am here as an Invited Friend of Princess Star Butterfly, I'm sure if you were to ask her you'd be able to confirm this. I'm Marco Diaz." He watched them withdraw their spears noticing their poor posture with the weapons. They seemed to be ceremonial versions and were more heavily weighted at the top. A useful weapon in the right hands but a novelty in the untrained. He watched as an envoy rushed into the castle and disappeared and waited for his return.

He never did return however shortly after a loud crashing sound was drawing closer and closer, the guards stepped back from the bridge as Marco stared at them confused. Suddenly Star came diving out from the doorway leaping at him. He could dodge her and even stepped to the side but chose to just take it stepping back into her reach as the two went tumbling across the floor. They came to a halt and Marco picked them both up realising that his flower was now a pile of petals on the ground he shrugged before looking back at an ecstatic Star.

"You Came! You actually came!... Oh sorry for jumping on you I saw you went to dodge but then changed your mind. Thank you for catching me again. Quick follow me!" She grabbed his hand and forced him to follow her into the castle. The guards all looked on confused at who her mystery friend was and how he managed to be completely fine after being 'Starstruck'. The two teenagers came flying into the ceremony room to see River and Moon looking over several details. They looked up to see Star showing her new friend around and went to investigate.

"Star, honey, who is your little friend?" Queen Moon opened the conversation unsure of when her daughter had acquired this friend. Marco put two and two together and realised he was standing in front of the Princess' parents, A.K.A the King and Queen. He pushed his body together and bowed to the pair.

"Your Royal Highness, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Marco Diaz and I recently became a friend of your daughter, Princess Star. She invited me to attend this ceremony for the passing of her Heirloom. Please accept this gift as a token of my respect." Marco reached into his bag and all the guards seemed to shift simultaneously but River held his hand up to halt them. Marco pulled out of his bag a pair of Diamond Tiger Lilies. On his adventures he had found a dimension where all the flora was made of diamonds and kept the flowers as he was sure they'd be useful. The pair looked down at the flower shocked recognising it. Unbeknown to Marco these flowers were extremely rare and seen as a generous gift in even the highest circles. Moon was impressed, it was the first time one of Star's friends had been not just polite and presentable but accustomed to royalty and knew how to impress. River was more impressed when he noticed the scissors hanging out of Marco's pocket. He read the engraving and knew the scissors belonged to the boy meaning he had completed his trial.

"Well thank you for your gift Marco, It is splendid and been many years since I have laid my eyes on such a wonderful specimen. I hope you will continue to look after our daughter and support her through her troubles and hardships." She smiled at the boy but in her mind she started to wonder something about him.

"Yes exactly as Moonpie said m'boy. Welcome to the castle, let me just go make sure you have a good seat." Both the ruling royals departed leaving Marco to breathe a sigh of relief while Star was staring at his awestruck.

"How did you do that?!" She asked him grabbing his sleeve. He managed not to react and had come to realise she was not planning on giving him space. Ever.

"Do what Princess?" He looked confused. He wondered if he had come off too strong and they suspected something of him.

"Both my parents like you? They don't like anyone I've ever brought here? Not just that what was that flower you just gave them.. It looked so shiny!?" Marco breathed again realising that against his deep fears of rejection and judgement he was being accepted quite happily.

"..I'm a people person? I don't know I've met a few royals in my travels or at least an empire or two and I know what the people in charge expect to see from the lower. It's a flower I picked up in a really strange dimension. I'll show you sometime if you like.. But I think your thing is about to start?" Marco pointed over to the stage where Queen Moon was gesturing for Star to join her. Marco went to sit in the seat that River was pointing at in the front row. Star looked over at Marco who gave her a thumbs up and she turned to meet her parents.

Every guest in the room was surprised to see the Princess calmer than usual. She was dressed in a beautiful light blue dress and wearing her crown. They had crazily expected Star to come riding through the door on a Unicorn or something. Star began to pant excitedly holding her hands out to receive the wand.

"Now, Star, this wand is a big responsibility. If it falls into the hands of evil forces, the universe could be destroyed." Moon tried to explain to Star. She wasn't sure Star was really listening as she laughed to herself. She reached up and took the wand from her mother. It began to magically change from a royal sceptre form to a light purple form with white wings.

"Don't worry, Mom. I can handle it." Were the choice last words Star had chosen.

Within half an hour of Star having the wand she stood looking back at Mewni as a magical rainbow rained fire down on the kingdom. The civilians ran wild screaming in terror as she looked down unsure what to do. Marco ran past her and pulled a grapple hook from his bag. He used it to scale the buildings getting higher and higher until he neared the rainbow. Once close enough he pulled from his bag two vials of liquid and tossed them into the rainbow. It stopped raining fire and started instead to rain down different coloured liquid. Some of the civilians realised they were no longer on fire and stopped to taste the rain only to find that each drop had a different fruity flavour. They ran round cheering as Marco tossed small containers at the buildings that were still smouldering which released a cloud of small dots which began reversing the damage to them and restoring the kingdom to normal. He hid from the crowds as they ran to Star, picked her up and started to cheer her name in joy.

Moon, River and Glossaryck observed through binoculars.

"She can't handle it!" Both Moon and River said in union.

"Yes... but maybe he can.." Glossaryck added stroking his chin.

Later that day Marco awkwardly stood watching as Star was on her knee's begging her parents.

"Please don't send me to St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses! I promise I won't do it again and that I can be good! Nothing was even damaged as Marco managed to fix it!" She wailed to them both.

"Sweetheart, we're not sending you there" River said with a smile.

"Oh.." Star breathed out with relief.

"...Yet." Moon added under her breath.

"We have decided that you can stay here to train and practice your magic under the supervision of Glossaryck Of Terms, your magic tutor... under one condition." River explained to the girl. He looked at Marco which made him feel uncomfortable and with a foreboding sense of dread.

"What is it? I'll do ANYTHING" Star pleaded.

"We would allow you to continue to train and live here, on the condition that your friend Marco over there stays here with us and helps ensure you do not cause any similar accidents. We were quite impressed at his efforts to contain your devastation and his ability to turn it around into a positive public moment for you." Moon moved to address Marco personally.

"Mr Diaz, I am sure it is much to ask for people you have just met and I'm sure you have much to do however we would ask that for at least one year would you please stay and live in the castle with us. To help Star overcome her... difficulty in her magic training. We also believe that you may be a positive influence on our daughter. We assure you that you will be fully rewarded for your efforts and we would happily pay you in goods or in favour." Marco froze not knowing what to say. It was an offer he couldn't afford to refuse, he'd be under the protection of a powerful kingdom, with them owing him a favour and be able to learn and study magic possibly too. He only hesitated as he realised part of him wanted this not for his mission or goal but for himself. He couldn't afford to be selfish in his life anymore and was tempted to refuse when he looked past Queen Butterfly to see Star's face beaming at him. He could tell this would be exactly what she wanted not just to avoid the prison school but because she was excited to have him stay around. He thought about it deeply and then replied.

"Queen Butterfly, I humbly accept your offer and look forward to our future working together."

* * *

/

Much later that day Marco threw his bag down onto a bed. He had been given a room close to Star's to ensure that he was close whenever the Princess would cause trouble but was a tad surprised with how welcoming the Butterfly royalty was. He put his daggers onto a table and grabbed a screwdriver from his bag. He began to undo the cartridge on the base of each dagger and took out the expired Nano battery. He reached into his bag and pulled out replacements.

He checked his storage of back up weapons. He would have to create more of the compound mixtures he wasted when he restored the flaming clouds. Originally he had developed them as a way of surviving hospitable environments by turning the composition of the food to edible for himself. The cubes he had used to restore the buildings and his clothes were packed full of Nano machines built with a complex memory programme to set the particles of the things they came into contact with back to their previous state. For the people of Mewni it probably seemed like Marco was adept at using magic but the truth of the situation is that Marco had never learnt any magic skills and that all of the 'powers' were simply advanced science. While he did not have magical skills he had Nano Weapons and cyber enhancements to all of his belongings. The last gifts he had taken with him when he had left his home. Marco put all the stuff back into his bag before heading to his bed. He would deal with this Princess gig for a year and earn himself the aid he needed. There was a knock at the door so he quickly hid his bag under the bed.

"Marco? It's me Star?" She called through the door.

"One second." He replied. He straightened himself up a bit, somewhat disappointed he wouldn't be able to take off the suit just yet. He opened the door to find the Princess already wearing her night gown.

"Hey Marco.. I was thinking.. You didn't really get to eat that much earlier and you were at the bounce lounge all night.. If you were hungry we can always take a midnight trip to the kitchen." Star beamed hopefully. Something about her positively and innocence seemed to sway him as his stomach rumbled loudly as if answering the cry for adventure.

"Sure thing Star.. But.. How about I cook?" Marco suggested.

"You can cook? What do you know?" Star's eyes lit up.

"I have a few ideas. Come on I'll show you." Marco looked back into the room and smiled before closing the door and racing down the hallways with the Princess.

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 **Hope you enjoyed the Chapter :) Please remember to review and let us know what you think, any questions feel free to PM me and I'll try my best to get back to you.**


	2. Chapter 2 - A Difference In Dimension

**Legacy Of Loneliness#2**

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed :) We would like to say thank you for your comments and hope you enjoy the following chapter. If you have any questions please message 'the black cat' or myself and we will try to answer.**

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 **A Difference In Dimension**

Marco could feel his back growing stiff as he continued to bow. Sweat ran down his forehead mixing with the dirt on his face but he did not move a muscle for he stood before the Queen apologising for not stopping Star. When he had first accepted the job he assumed it wouldn't be that hard.. However Star Butterfly has a habit of changing your perception.

/

Earlier that day Marco had woken up to find the girl leaning over him watching him sleep. He had yelled out in shock causing her to yell out as well. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it over himself to hide his broken body when a guard had burst in to see what the commotion was about.

Ever since Marco had arrived he had been a constant source of gossip for the Kingdom's staff. The women wondered if he would be her new love interest while the men were curious how strong he really was to take being 'Star struck' and walk it off. The guard looked into the room to see the Princess of his kingdom, on her knees, apologising as the boy tried desperately to cover himself with his blanket. The guard slowly closed the door and decided he was not going to get involved with this particular incident.

A little while later, after Star had left to let Marco get dressed, the Princess sat with her head hanging waiting for Marco to scold her.

"Okay.. So why were you watching me sleep?" He pinched the bridge of his nose. Unbeknown to Star the main reason he was annoyed was that he never even felt her presence. He was skilled enough that he would wake up if someone tried to sneak up on him yet the Princess seemed to get through all of his guard.

"iwaswaitingforyouandwantedtoshowyousomething.." Star mumbled quickly.

"Pardon? I couldn't quite hear that? Is that how Princesses speak?" Star shook her head.

"I was waiting for you and wanted to show you something.."

"Okay well in future please just wake me up and don't watch me sleep its weird. Let's go then" He smiled as he reached under the bed to grab his bag. Star looked up from the floor confused.

"What? Is that it?" She asked earnestly. Her eyes sparkled in the light that pierced in from the window but her face was full of doubt.

"Umm.. Yes? What were you expecting?"

"Well.. For you to yell at me and tell me off.. Or say you didn't want to be my friend or stay here anymore?" Marco turned round to see the girls eyes watering and he froze. What were her eyes leaking for now? What happened to make her that upset? Marco had lived his whole life believing all knowledge could be found in a book however he had searched in various dimensions and none ever were written explaining how to deal with girls.

"No.. No.. Of course I want to be your friend and I'm here to stay I promised remember? I'm not angry at you Star, I'm angry at myself.." He went to reach out to place his arm on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her, but pulled back. He wasn't use to physical contact with others like this and was out of his comfort zone.

"Really? And why are you angry at yourself?" She asked wiping away her tears. She was usually stronger than this but when in front of Marco she felt no need to be the Princess full of dignity but rather to be Star, the girl who needed her friend.

"Yes really.. And well I have always trained myself to be able to detect anyone coming near me.. Especially when I'm sleeping so no one could kill me in my sleep. However for all my training and all my skill you easily got in my room and beside me. If you had wanted to kill me I'd be dead. I'm annoyed as I'm either getting rusty or my skills aren't good enough.."

"What? Don't be silly! Your skills are fine I'm just really good at sneaking! If it makes you feel better I could teach you?" Stars eyes lit up bright in anticipation. So far two days had passed and the pair were beginning to get to know each other. Star had given him a tour of the kingdom on her first day and deemed that only his special nachos be good enough for a reward. The second day he met up with Queen Moon who explained the laws of the Kingdom, a little about Stars lessons and what they entail and a brief warning that Star was more trouble than he could imagine. Marco looked up to meet Star's overwhelming gaze and realised if he could get better at stealth movements he could improve various other skills he had.

"Okay then Princess.. Please teach me what you know"

"This is gonna be amazing!"

The pair readied up for their journey and headed out of the castle. Marco hadn't really had a chance to visit the citizens dwelling in the Kingdom and was intrigued by the various stalls and activities going on. The pair left the Kingdom and began heading towards the forest when Marco paused to read the sign.

"Forest of Certain Death, Beware?" He grabbed Star's hand and pulled her back then pointed at the sign.

"Ohhh.. Yeah.. That's just a silly name"

"Silly? It has the word death in the name, certain death. What place that is good has that sort of name?" Marco retorted.

"Don't worry! I've been coming here since I was a little girl and if you want to get better at sneaking you have to follow me" Star started to skip toward the entrance leaving Marco in a moral dilemma. Every part of him, all his instincts and experience, was warning him this was a bad idea but a small part of him, one he didn't know he had seemed to respond to Stars enthusiasm. "It could be fun?" Marco thought. He looked up and realised Star was vanishing from view and ran to catch up to her.

Once inside he and Star walked down the grassy trail between the spooky trees and smelly bogs. He could hear movement all around him and kept getting a horrible feeling he was being watched. He looked up to see the sunlight vanishing behind the leaves leaving him in darkness. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small, but powerful, torch that attached to the clip he had on his shoulder. This allowed him to see into the forest. He paused when he realised Star hadn't gotten excited and tried to hold it yet. He looked to his right and discovered she was gone. He quickly drew his daggers and began to scan the environment for movement. He walked back slowly looking for any clue where she could have gone when a rustling came from a bush to his southeast. He turned sharply readying his daggers. He approached carefully, avoiding the twigs and leaves to remain quiet. He burst into the bush but found nothing there. Returning to the path he let the beam of light on his shoulder tear through the darkness and illuminate the forest.

"Boo!" Star yelled out as she dropped from the trees above. Marco moved on instinct and swung his dagger at her throat. She quickly dodged his swing and then blocked his other one. He kicked off against her to get free before dropping down and taking out her legs before swiftly sitting on top of her pinning her arms down and holding his dagger to her throat. She gulped down hard as his eyes had a glazed look to them when he paused.

"Sorry.. Sorry.. I-"

"-It's alright Marco" She smiled up at him. "I wanted to see how good you were and also surprise you but seriously man you have insane skills" She carried on smiling at him. He looked down at her confused. He put his dagger away and got off her, reaching down to pick her up.

"Still.. I shouldn't have attacked you I'm sorry" Marco replied glumly. Star frowned, it was not the reaction she had wanted. When she had been watching him sleep he had been having a nightmare. She stroked his head and hummed softly to him and it seemed to ease his nightmares. He had been speaking in his sleep too. "I'm sorry..." "It should have been me.." "I won't fail you" were just a few of the things he had said and it had worried her.

"No I'm sorry.. I want to be stronger so I wanted to try fighting you when you weren't holding back.. But I guess your stronger than me.."

"Are you kidding? You dodged my first two attacks! No one has ever done that! Your amazing?"

"You think so!?"

"I know so!"

"Aww thanks bestie!"

"Bestie?" Marco asked confused.

"Yeah.. Like best friend!"

"I'm your best friend?"

"Well.. I'm hoping you will be.. If you don't mind?" Marco watched as she looked nervous and worried about his response. He wasn't sure why but Star constantly was seeking his approval and when waiting for something like this would put on a really cute and innocent face.

"I don't mind so what did you want to show me?" Star leapt up in joy and grabbed his hand leading him to a clearing.

/

"So what happened in the clearing?" Moon asked sternly as she looked down at both Star and Marco who were still bowing.

"Well that's where a herd of Warnicorns live that I've been trying to tame.. I tried to show Marco how to sneak up on them and ride them. He did it first try which is amazing and while he was doing it I came up with a good idea for a new spell.."

"A new spell?" Moon questioned.

"Yeah.. I call it Warnicorn Stampede. When i fired it a herd of Warnicorn rushed out from the wand and would stampede in the direction I wanted them to."

"Interesting, now Marco what happened next?"

"Well your majesty.. When Star had fired her spell it caused the real Warnicorns to stampede while I was still riding one. They ran from the forest, straight towards the corn fields and trampled all over the corn. Then they ran towards the kingdom and proceeded to damage the citizens houses before being led back to the forest." Marco finished speaking and waited patiently as Moon was thinking.

"Star, sweetie could you please wait outside?"

"But Mum.."

"Star." Star stood up and walked to the door while sulking. She closed it on her way out leaving Marco alone with Moon.

"Marco you can stop bowing now." Moon insisted. He stood up to face her only to see her smiling.

"So you made quite the impression today Young Man. I heard several reports that say that you were the one who led the stampede out of the Kingdom while riding on top of the herd leader. You also repaired all damages done throughout the Kingdom and apologised to each person affected."

"Yes.. I'm sorry your majesty I failed to do my job-" Moon cut across him.

"Failed? You haven't failed in fact you've done a remarkable job!"

"Pardon?"

"Marco, when I asked you to watch over Star it wasn't so you could stop her causing incidents like this.. Because believe me I have tried myself. What I asked of you was to help contain her actions and to be a good example to her. You repaired all damages and addressed every person involved with an apology. No one was complaining about you, instead they were wanting to send in thanks to you. Star causes trouble daily and their lives are usually affected by it and Star, for all her flaws, still hasn't realised the consequences of her actions. The citizens were grateful for your deeds and wished to know who you are and how long your staying here. In regards to your first job you have performed it brilliantly. In regards to being an example to Star.. You should know she has never come to me and apologied for her trouble making. This is the first time she has come and confessed to wrong doing. Usually she would just try to avoid the matter and pretend it didn't happen. You are proving to be an excellent example for her Mr. Diaz and I hope you will continue to do so." Marco was shocked. When the pair had gone to apologise he had been expecting to be asked to leave not to be praised.

"Thank you your majesty"

"No thank you Marco, now Star has her first magic lesson starting soon in the library would you be a dear and make sure she attends" Moon beamed a smile down at him. He nodded before leaving to meet with Star. Moon watched as he left and kept trying to work out what it was about him that was different. She turned to a crystal and spoke into it.

"This is Queen Moon, can every member at the MHC do me a favour and look into someone's past for me? It's urgent."

/

"So let me get this straight.. We aren't in trouble?" Star sat across from Marco with a face full of confusion. She tapped her wand against her head trying to understand why they were not in trouble.

"No, in fact the Queen only wished to say thank you for fixing the broken stuff. I think we managed to get away with it."

"Yeah… no.. I can't see it happening. Whenever my Mum finds out about my.. Accidents.. She tends to flip the lid and grounds me. She has never not told me off.."

"Well then see this as a good thing. In future if anything goes bad maybe try talking to her about it?"

"Hmm I guess I could try that.. Anyway thanks Marco! Once again you have my back and everything turns out okay!" She beamed across the table at him.

"Sure thing Star, You may as well call me the safe kid as nothings gonna go bad while I'm here" She chuckled at his comment. He, himself, was doubtful that this was the end. He had intended to hide out in the Kingdom and not draw attention to himself yet now it seemed like all he was doing was getting peoples attention.

The pair had headed to the royal library to meet the magic teacher. Marco had seen the little blue man just once before when he'd agreed to stay in the Kingdom and in truth he was hesitant to meet him. He had heard the name Glossaryck of Terms before. A few times from Heckapoo and many more from magic users across the dimensions. He was seen to be akin to Father Time in power and in age, almost as if he was the Father of magic itself. He'd read ancient texts which warned to never anger the book keeper and to never try to fight him. This seemed to be before he had become the teacher of the Princesses of Mewni but the threat was fresh in Marco's mind.

"So where is your teacher Star?" He asked anxious to meet him again.

"I'm not really sure? I mean we came here on time and have been waiting ever since?" Just as Star finished speaking a heavy and large book seemed to fly straight towards them. Marco quickly caught it and felt the strain as it pushed against him. He loosened his grip to let it move and then span it round using its own power as momentum before slamming it on the table. It seemed to become almost motionless before opening to reveal the little blue man.

"Impressive boy, I had not expected you to be able to control it." He chuckled while stroking his chin. Crossing his rather hairy legs he began to float and turned to Star.

"Sorry I'm late, truthfully I hadn't been expecting you to come here and was waiting in your room when I received notice from the Queen that you were diligently on time for lesson one." Marco could tell that Star was annoyed by the comment but could see where the book keeper was coming from.

"Anyway its time to start your lesson, we'll begin with a read of the beginner spells and.." Glossaryck stopped and turned to Marco. "Could you please give us some privacy for this lesson? I'm sure there is much you can read here in the library just this is magic belonging to the royal line" Star went to protest but Marco held up his hand to stop her.

"I understand Sir Glossaryck, I'll excuse myself." Marco stood up and decided to explore the library. He found several books that interested him.

'The History Of Mewni'

'Mewni's guide to Dimensional Travel'

'Magic Theory and Application'

'Flora and Fauna of Mewni'

'Legends and Lore'

Marco began to pour through the books he had taken out. Each chosen for a specific reason. Whenever he arrived in a new land he would search for the history. To understand a people and the ones that rule them you have to understand where they come from. He didn't really find anything interesting but noted that several pages were torn out. He checked for other copies of the book and realized these were all the same. He noted it down and planned to ask Star more later. He checked the guide of Dimension travel because these sort of books tend to only suggest places that the Kingdom has alliances with. By looking at this Marco discovered there were several Kingdoms and Dimensions that the Butterfly family had ties to, even one in the Underworld. Magic theory turned out to be a bust as he couldn't understand the language. It seems like to read it you need some prior experience with magic which Marco lacked.

The flora and fauna was so he could understand the species of Mewni. Plants could be used to make medicines and he could use them for experiments. He had to find local replacements for the resources he had used to fix Star's destruction. He noted down all the ones he thought were useful and then looked at the fauna. Animals which had abilities or certain traits. Mewni seemed to be a hub for strange monsters which could do strange things. He decided to thoroughly read these sections just in case Star led him on another trip and they ran into more strange beasts. Finally he decided to read Legend and Lore, most myths stem from truth and most stories told were based on something. He cross referenced the legends with the history and noted that there were times when they crossed which granted him a better understanding of those around him. One legend spoke of a genie who could perform miracles but vanished. This seemed to happen around the same time Glossaryck had become part of the Kingdoms history. He once again noted down these parts.

"You're doing some strange research there my boy?" Marco flinched as the blue man appeared on his shoulder. He floated down and with a wave of his hands went through the books.

"You missed a few in the Flora and Fauna that can be used as medicine and other alchemy ingredients." Glossaryck pointed to them and let Marco jot it down.

"Ermm thanks?" Marco said confused.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I'm over here when I should be with Star, well I am over there too this me is merely an illusion so we have a chance to talk Mr. Diaz."

"Talk about what?"

"Well firstly I want to say thank you, I had worried that teaching the Princess would be difficult due to her personality but thanks to you she seems to understand its important to attend. Secondly I was just curious as to what books you would choose. When you hadn't picked up the ones on poisons and assassination I assumed you probably weren't going to be trying to kill us anytime soon but your selection has been just as interesting. Cross referencing the history of a Kingdom, studying the species that live inside it and those allied with it. For someone just 'passing through' you seem to be very interested in details about the Kingdom" Glossaryck raised his eyebrow casting suspicion onto Marco. He closed his book and met with the small mans gaze.

"I'm sorry if the actions I took were not appropriate however for the next year I am here to assist the Princess and today has taught me I don't understand this Kingdom and what is inside it enough to do that job. I want to understand it better as to perform the task given to me by the Queen and King. I also was hoping to explore the surrounding Kingdoms and Dimensions as I promised Star I would take her to a few." Marco answered without hesitation. Glossaryck paused and then smiled.

"A beautifully rehearsed answer if I do say so myself, however you need not mind me so much. I was merely interested in your selection. I notice you didn't spend much time with the magical theory? Have you perhaps read it before?"

"No, I just couldn't read it."

"Oh really, well not to worry. Some things become clear in time. Anyway I'm just about done with the Princess' lesson if you wanted to come back." With a click of his fingers the Glossaryck in front of Marco disappeared in a puff of smoke. He stood up and went to join Star. As he approached he noticed her reading the book. A strand of her hair had come loose and hung over her face. She bit her lip as she concentrated on the part she was reading. She brushed her hair back and closed her eye. Holding her wand in her hands she started to chant a spell. Light began to swirl around and circle her. Her cheeks started to glow and a breeze formed inside. She breathed in deep and then released the spell letting the breeze die and her glow fade. She opened her eyes to seem him staring at her, causing her to turn bright red.

"Why are you watching?!" She tried to cover her face.

"Well it was amazing to watch.. What were you doing?" He walked over and took her hands away from her face.

"Just.. Channeling my magic to bond more with the wand. If I do that I will be able to control my spells better. Truthfully its really boring to read and I usually would have avoided doing it but.. Well after you said about being honest I thought maybe I should take it all more seriously.. I'm glad I did to be honest.." She admitted. She looked up at Marco and smiled before they both noticed his hand still on hers. They both pulled back before blushing.

"See.. Told you it'd be okay.. Anyway your teacher said you are done for now so want to go explore some more?"

"Yes! Let's go!" She grabbed his arm and ran from the room.

Glossaryck watched them go and then left himself, he floated through the halls of the castle before arriving at the Queen's study. Entering he bowed to King River and then Queen Moon.

"So.. What was he like?"

"Interesting to say the least. He seemed as cautious of me as I was of him. The books he read, while not questionable in content, paint a picture of someone looking for something. I'm not sure what though. It's a mystery really as he managed to piece together some secrets that many have missed over the years. He seemed to take interest in the history section Eclipsa used to be in. He found out about the dealing with the Underworld to get rid of the Monster leadership."

"How is that even possible?"

"Well he looked at the travel guide and found out we were allied with them. Then looking at the Flora and Fauna of Mewni realized there were biased descriptions of Demons and Monsters. He worked out from the Legends and Lore that they used to be allied forces and that in the History there was an 'uprising' from the monsters but questions it. Just from a handful of books he found out a hidden truth. However the most surprising thing was that he didn't seem too interested in the secret. He seemed more interested in materials and resources to make something."

"Whatever could he want to make?" River asked.

"I think he plans to remake whatever potions he used to stop Star's flaming rainbow cloud and replace the amount of those cubes he uses to fix things."

"Why would he need materials for that? Wasn't he using magic?"

"Nope, so far that boy has not displayed a single use of magic to any of us."

"But all the things he has done?"

"Exactly my Queen, he hasn't performed a single spell yet has done wonders in front of our eyes that we perceived as magic. I wanted to test the boy so I left an ancient book on Magic theory in the library. It has a charm that stops it being read from anyone who doesn't know magic in order to stop inexperienced people getting its power. He couldn't even read the books introduction. He doesn't know magic."

"Then how is he doing it? What power is he hiding?"

"That's the question we need to answer.." The three adults sat in silence pondering the secrets Marco kept.

/

Marco felt his vision sharpen as he focused his eyes. He breathed in through his nose and then out of his mouth. He felt adrenaline begin to build up inside of him. Good, he could use the extra boost. His palms were sweating and a bead of sweat dripped from his untidy hair. He tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand and prepared to move out from his area of cover. He could feel the rush of air above him as he dodged the incoming attacks. He dove to the side rolling away from their attack range. He knew he couldn't hide for much longer. If he didn't attack soon he would just be hunted down and taken out. He gripped tighter and ran from the spot. He jumped onto the bed using its unnatural bounce ability to twirl around in midair dodging her strikes. He rolled once before throwing his pillow and striking her in the face. She fell back into a pile of spare pillows as he cheered his victory.

"Marco Diaz for the win! Pillow Fight Champion!" He cheered loudly when he felt a chill run up his side. He swiftly moved, catching the pillow she threw and throwing it back at her.

"No Fair! I can't believe you're using my lessons against me!" Star moaned throwing all the remaining pillows at Marco which he easily evaded.

"Now now Princess, no one said I couldn't use your teachings to dodge. You showed me how to hide my presence and to detect others.. I may not be ready yet but I'm definitely getting better. You should see it as I could only win thanks to you?" Marco offered his solution smiling. He could see her almost take the bait when she threw another pillow. He went to dodge but she dove forward and struck him in the left rib cage with another one.

"There! Now we both win! And since I've also won I want you to make me your special nachos!"

"Haha sure thing Star, I'll be back in a bit."

Marco left the room and began to descend the halls of the castle. He headed straight for the kitchen greeting anyone he saw on the way. He had only been here for a few days but everyone seemed to have warmed to his presence. He was aware that anytime he went somewhere alone he'd have at least 2 or 3 people following him. He was almost disappointed he hadn't noticed them on the first day but after Star's lessons he was more aware of them. He started to respect the Knights of Mewni. In some ways they seemed to be a group of oversized children that were fighting over toys but at the same all skill warriors that could certainly put up a little resistance to him. He had been tempted to ask if he could join them for training but had avoided asking so far.

He finished up his Super Awesome Nachos and left a few bowls for the staff, after trying some of the leftovers they had gotten hooked and asked him to prepare some occasionally for the rest of the castle to try. He headed back up stairs and to Star's room when he felt like someone was watching him, beside the usual crowd. He turned but could see no one. He started to walk again, not hearing any foot steps. Marco reached the door and burst in.

"Super Awesome Nachos!"

"Triangle Food!" Star replied with glee. She reached over to grab one when there was a knock at her door. Puzzled by the late night visitor Star walked to the door and opened it so see no one. Marco reached into his bag and gripped his dagger tightly.

"SURPRISE B-FLY!" Yelled out a voice as a floating head burst into the room with a trail of sparkles.

"Pony Head!" Star screamed while hugging her friend.

"Gurl you wanna tell me why you are not at the late night ball going on in the Des-Topia Dimension?" Pony head said immediately getting on topic.

"Well.. You know I don't like those things.. And-"

"And nothing! How are you suppose to find Mr Right of you are just hiding in your room! Don't try to lie and say you can't go because I asked your parents, who won't there by the way, and they said you are free."

"Pony.."

"No no, Don't you Pony me! I gave you space at the bounce lounge with the Red Hood guy and nothing happened even though I could tell you were crushing harrrrdd on him. A girl knows these things." Star felt her face grow bright red as her eyes fell on Marco sitting patiently behind her. He didn't make eye contact, not sure if he should.

"Pony.."

"I mean.. Did you even ask for his number? I saw you smiling the night away and he seemed to like you too.. Oh what am I saying obvs he liked you too who wouldn't like my B-Fly!?"

"Pony Head.."

"So Here's what we should do! I'll call everyone saying its an emergency and we need that dudes number to hook up you with and then you invite him to the ball and get closer, if you know what I mea-"

"PONY HEAD!" Star screamed loudly at her friend. For the first time since she arrived Pony Head seemed to focus on Star who was now so red it was comical. She pointed towards to bed. Pony Head turned to see Marco sitting there both looking embarrassed and anxious.

"Oh snap B-Fly.. Girl got game.." Pony Head muttered under her breath before floating over to Marco.

"So Macho-"

"Marco" Corrected Star.

"Yeah.. Marco.. What you doing in my girls room so late at night?" Pony Heads switch seemed to flip to over protective as Star face palmed behind her.

"Well we had a pillow fight and was about to get something to eat?"

"Oh dang that's sounds great.. Just like any sleep over.. Except.. Why are you sleeping over?"

"…I.." Just as Marco began to speak he noticed Star start to signal him from behind the floating Princess. He tried to look past her but Pony Head floated in the way.

"Well?"

"I kind of live in the castle now.." Marco answered with a shrug. He was no where near close to dealing with females, let alone floating horse heads. He was also not too good at interacting with others as it tends to be when you are constantly moving from one place to another, always on the move.

"Oh.. Listen here Hoodturd.. You think you can make a move on-" Star cupped her hands around Pony Heads mouth and dragged her from the room. Marco could hear them talking at insane speeds outside the door and considered his options. He could easily escape from the window.

Returning to the room, Pony Head somewhat subdued.

"I apologize for my behavior.. It seems the Queen asked you to stay to avoid Star being sent to St O's.. Thank you Hoodturd.."

"Aww perfect my two besties are gonna be besties!" Both Marco and Pony Head looked at each other and gave each other evils.

"Anyway.. How about we all get heading to this ball!" Marco watched as Star went to protest when Pony whispered something in her ear. Suddenly she seemed to agree and turned to Marco.

"Come on Marco lets go.. Please!" She begged. Marco truthfully did not want to go to any more royal events. He was already talk of the castle and did not need the attention but once again her puppy eyes seemed to enchant him as he found himself saying yes.

Marco headed to his room to get ready. He pulled his suit from the closet. He had sent it to the 'Knight of the Wash' or something to be cleaned after realising Star had caused him to be covered in mud. He dressed himself and tidied up his hair. Walking back to Star's room he found the Princess now wearing a beautiful green dress. The bottom was patterned with different leaves and flowers. It was a ball gown but not as large as her coronation dress. The middle had a dark green ribbon tied into a bow and a sweet heart neckline. Her hair was now decorated with various flower accessories. She looked up at him and smiled when all he could say was "Wow".

"So come on Hoodturd, hand over those scissors and let's get a move on!" Marco reluctantly passed over his scissors and the trio went through the portal appearing in front of a grand building with guests piling inside.

"I'll go prepare our introductions you two wait here." Pony Head floated off leaving the two standing awkwardly in the dark.

"Is it alright that she goes off alone?" Marco asked curiously. He looked at Star still flushed by the embarrassment her friend had awarded for her. She realised what he was saying.

"Probably not! I should go catch up with her, you wait over there!" Star bounced off quickly towards the entrance leaving Marco alone. He walked over to the area Star had pointed at. It seemed to be the area where the nobles were arriving from.

Marco began to look around for anything to take his attention desperate to avoid the boredom that started to fill him as he stood alone. He noticed one of the carriages stop and a young girl with bright red hair almost like flames itself step down and get on all fours in front of the door. A fat and pompous looking man stepped out using her as a foot hold but she buckled under his weight causing him to fall. He managed to stabilise himself but started to yell and threaten the girl. Marco felt his blood boil and went to intervene when he felt a soft touch on his arm. He turned to see a stranger looking at him hesitantly.

"I'm sorry I did not mean to alarm you.. it's just you cannot intervene in this situation young man, at least not in the manner you were intending." The man looked down at his hand to see it balled into a fist.

"Why not." He asked coldly not letting his eyes wander now from the fat noble that seemed content with his verbal abuse of the girl.

"That's one of the higher nobles.. Marquess Carlos.. And the girl who he yelled at is his slave.."

"Slavery is legal here?" Marco tone remained cold.

"..Yes.. In Des-Topia a darkness hides beneath it's pretty lights and beautiful buildings. The nobles here aren't like the ones from Mewni, they are stuck in old and cruel ways. He has legally done nothing wrong and if you were to try to intervene you would be arrested. All you would accomplish doing so would be robbing the world of a capable forward thinking young man." Marco turned to see the mans face. He was taller than him but did not seem much older. His features were blonde, almost to the point of being golden. He had a light stubble and deep blue eyes. Marco could see in them that this was a man whose mind was older than he seemed, someone who had to see things that a young man shouldn't have had to. It was the same as the pair of eyes that greeted him every time he looked in the mirror. He wore a set of red dress robes adorned with embroidery of golden thread. Marco had to admit he liked the colours. It reminded him of a certain house that stood for bravery in his childhood books. A house decorated with a lion. Looking closer Marco saw a certain pride and air about the man which he found he could respect.

"…Okay…" Marco watched as the man and his slave disappeared into the building.

"Thank you young man."

"For what?"

"Letting me see that maybe the future won't be full of vulgar men like him but with true noble gentlemen who seek not for the power to enslave the weak but the strength to defend them from those that hope to oppress them."

"I'm sorry but i don't think I can live up to that expectation." Marco went to leave but realised the man was still holding his arm. He paused as he became aware that he was not bothered by the mans presence. He turned to see him again.

"Take this." The man passed Marco a card with a set of dimensional co-ordinates on. Like his clothes the card was red but covered with gold.

"Your address?"

"Yes, In the future come see me, I may be able to offer you aid or even just a voice and ear." The man let go and began to walk away before pausing and speaking once more. "It is hard to look in the mirror and see ones worth.. so let others see your own worth for you. You may not think you can reach my expectation but I do not worry, I have always felt like I could sense what was coming and when I look at you I see darkness. Horrors beyond imagination followed by so much worse but beyond that I see a light, so bright it's blinding. So bright it will eat away at the darkness until all that is left is hope. While you may not be certain of the path you walk worry not, I'll wait for you further down." The man carried on walking when Marco called out to him.

"What is your name!?"

"Read the back of the card my boy!" He called back. Marco quickly looked down at the card and turned it over.

 _'Hope Farrell Fullbright'_ Marco read the name and smiled, thinking that it suited the man.

With the man gone his thoughts returned to the slavery he witnessed before. He rubbed at the rough skin on his wrists and thought of the past. He felt himself feel sick to his stomach as he turned to the approaching Pony Head and Star. "Maybe not all people with power are the same after all."

"Come on! They're waiting for us!" Pony Head exclaimed before heading to the entrance. Star linked her arm with Marco and forced him to walk with her. He matched her pace as they both walked into the ball room. A man stood at the side with parchment ready to read.

"Re-Introducing Princess Pony Head" Her entrance was met with a few applauses but if you saw her reaction it would be as if she was being received by hundreds of adoring fans.

"And Introducing her Royal Princess of the Butterfly Kingdom, Princess Star Butterfly and Her date for the evening, Sir Marco Diaz!" Cheers and wolf whistles followed as Star and Marco pulled apart from one another.

Whispers began to spread around the ball room and Star turned to Marco.

"Soon.. I'm going to call my parents quickly and clear up this misunderstanding before words reaches them.. Just mingle for a bit and ill see you soon." Star bounced off into the crowd as Marco followed down the Stairs. He headed to the corner of the room beside the balcony hoping to avoid gaining more attention when he felt a firm hand grab his arm and drag him into the balcony.

Usually Marco would have instinctively struck the perpetrator without hesitation however he was familiar with the touch and merely smiled as he found himself face to face with the Demi-Goddess of the Magical High Commission, Heckapoo.

"What the hell are you doing here Marco!? What happened to keeping a low profile?!" Questioned Heckapoo as she shook his body.

"Hello to you too Heckapoo.. Did you miss the announcement?" Marco replied pushing her hands away.

"Don't be like that Marco.. We're friends.. At least I thought we were when you left?" Marco could hear the hurt in her voice and felt guilty.

"We are friends H-Poo.. Just we shouldn't really be seen together here.."

"Why? Because you are so busy 'not sticking in the same place?' Or is it because the Queen of Mewni is looking into your background!" Heckapoo looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching but they were still in the clear.

"H-Poo.. it's only temporary.. I'm going to leave when I've done what I've needed to and so they really do plan to look into me.. How do you know that anyway?"

"Did you forget what my job is? I work for the Magical High Commission which Moon leads. They've been asking questions in the right places and they're connecting the dots Marco. It won't be long before they realize you aren't just some guy but a dangerous threat to everyone in Mewni!" Marco was still avoiding eye contact with her so she grabbed him by his shoulders and forced him to look at her. She could see conflict within him, as if she knew what she was saying to be true but ignoring it nonetheless.

"All they'll realize is that I like to travel and I've done some good and some bad stuff to get by. Nothing too extreme. I need support from a powerful ally and the Butterfly Kingdom could be just that H-Poo.." He tried to reason with her.

"Don't.. Don't try to pretend that the past never happened Marco. I've covered for you before when you went to far and who knows what you got up to during the later years of the trial.. You still won't tell me.. You won't tell me anything Marco! I was meant to be that powerful ally for you! You are like my best friend.. The only person who I don't have to pretend with but you just up and left.. A note. Is that all I was worth to you? You were my wing man and now I'm being forced to lie to my peers and hide truths from my superiors because I still consider you as that friend. Talk to me please!" Her voice steadily rising was beginning to cause people to look around making Marco both agitated and anxious.

"Look. I had to go. If I didn't I would never have left and I can't stop. I can never stop. I could have had a lifetime as your best friend and we could have travelled reality together. I'm sure there's even a possibility we could have been more but it will never happen. It never can… because of me. You don't have to lie for me.. I don't want you to.. They'll find out eventually about us knowing one another whether it's through investigating it or someone telling them the truth. My business is my own however. I told you that the day we met and every time since." Heckapoo listened to his words attentively until his last few words. Anger flushed her cheeks as she slapped him across the face.

"You know what! Suit yourself. I don't know what your hiding about your past and about the _lost dimension_ but I know you had something to do with it but I let it go. I let it go for you. No more Marco. I'm going to find out what it is your hiding before anyone else has to and when I know the truth you will answer me." She pushed passed him and was lost into the crowd. Marco ran his hand across his cheek wincing from the burn left behind. Heckapoo knew how to slap that was for sure. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some cream that healed his burn. It was thanks to this nifty item he finally got rid of the bald patch she had blessed him with.

Marco stared out across the balcony at the landscape illuminated by the night time moon. He ignored everything and breathed in deep. After letting himself regain his composure he set off into the crowd to find the demi-goddess and apologize.

"Maybe I have been keeping too many secrets from her."

As he left the curtain near the balcony entrance moved. Star stepped out confused as to what she had just witnessed. After calling her parents she had wanted to find Marco. One of the other guests has stated he was on the balcony with a lady. Wanting to get the details to mess with him later she had snuck up to the balcony just in time to hear Marco explaining that he had to leave and now many thoughts raced through her mind.

 _"Marco and Heckapoo know each other!"_

 _"They LIVED TOGETHER and are keeping it a secret!?"_

 _"Marco is involved with some serious business… I should.. I should tell Mum.."_ Star pulled her phone out of her pocket and began to type her number in when she caught Marco in her vision. Suddenly all will to reveal his past faded from her as she thought of his smile.. His touch.. His voice.. And everything he had done for her.

 _"He wouldn't have hidden it without a reason.. I should find that out first!.. Good plan Star!"_ She told herself while skipping over to Marco. Halfway there she realized he was watching someone else. Star looked to see the fat noble with the slave.

Marco felt his fingernails digging into his hand. When he had tried to talk to Heckapoo she suddenly started talking to the other guest. She knew he couldn't afford to draw attention to himself now more than ever and used it to avoid him. He walked off agitated when he noticed the disgusting noble, Marquess Carlos from earlier. He was bragging about his wealth and fortune while his slave stood silently by his side. He was soon left as people grew bored of his stories. The slave girl looked up at Marco and he smiled to her and waved. She hesitated before waving back. Her action was not unnoticed as the noble suddenly grabbed her by the collar and began to lead her up the stairwell they entered through. Marco could see she was in pain and followed after them not hearing as Star called out his name. He reached lobby at the entrance when he heard raised voices.

"-dare you! How dare you! You disgusting bitch! To smile at other men when it is me who clothes you and puts food in your stomach. I could have let you rot in that bandit hole but I spared you and this! THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME!" Marco heard a loud thud and a whimpering sound.

"Look at me you dumb ungrateful bitch!" Marco turned a corner to see the noble with a whip in hand. The girl was now bleeding from her nose and had various marks across her arms and face. The noble raised his hand to whip her again when Marco grabbed it. The noble turned and snarled at him.

"What do YOU want? Boy." He spat at Marco.

"I think that's enough for now. She committed no wrong doing, the fault is my own so please end this now." The noble looked like he was about to strike him but felt the pressure of his grip to be growing. The noble looked down at the girl and then smiled.

"Perhaps you are right. Well I think the only course of action is this." He turned to the beaten girl. "I grant you your freedom and you may return to your home. That is all." He shook Marco off and walked away. Marco leant down to help the girl and gave her some medicine to take. It started to take effect and heal her recent wounds. As he watched the bruises and marks disappear he realised that many had been from before tonight. He could see rope burn marks on her wrist and ankles. He swallowed his anger and tried to talk to the girl.

"Are you okay Miss?" Marco asked concerned. She flinched as he approached her but let him draw near. Her quiet voice couldn't be heard so he knelt in closer. She began to whisper into his ear. Marcos eyes filled with rage as he turned and chased after the noble catching him at the door to the ball.

"You sick prick." Marcos words full of malice and hate. The noble turned with a smile.

"I forgive her disrespect, yours too, and release her and yet you still insult me?" His smile started to sicken Marco.

"Yes."

"Please.. Ermm.., Who were you again? Oh yes.. The boyfriend of the royal brat, please enlighten me of my wrong doings?" The noble stared down at Marco almost trying to assert dominance over him.

"..You raped her.. Forced her to bear your child and then beat it out of her.. Then torture.. Before telling her to go back to the home.. You had destroyed after she refused to serve you willingly." Marco gritted his teeth while staring at the man. The door behind him started to open but neither noticed.

"I did.. And ill do it to the next one too.. Like I've done to all of them. What are you going to do about it?" The noble laughed for only a brief second before Marco rushed forward. He flew up the stairs in seconds bridging the gap between them. His right hand draw back far and around it his nano machines began to form creating a gauntlet. He thrust forward colliding his fist right into the nobles face. His jaw crunched and teeth flew as Marco drove forward using all momentum to break the man. He then, as the noble was lifted of the ground by the force leapt into the air and span around forcing his foot into his chest. The sounds of cracking ribs filled the air and Marco sent the man flying into the door. The force broke the hinges and forced the nobles now unconscious body souring down the stairs and sliding to a halt at the other guests feet. They looked down at the beaten body of their peer and then up to the blood soaked fist of Marco Diaz. He immediately turned and ran hearing many shouts for guards. He busted through the front doors and ran into the night. His athletic ability allowing him to easily out pace and lose any guard that chose to follow him. He found himself cursing his actions as he finally came to a stop at a cave a good hours journey away. He waited a few hours listening to the noises around him and preparing if anything came but he couldn't detect anything. Believing himself to be alone he began to plot his next course of actions.

"I fucking ruined everything. I won't be able to stay here any longer. I left some stuff at the castle I need to get it and then-"

"And then what Marco?" Came a voice from the entrance. He pulled out his daggers and stood to face his opponent. He couldn't quite see her face when he saw her wave her hand. He moved defensively however all that happened was a light appeared in the cave revealing Star.

"Well? And then what?" Her voice was stern and with resolve. He didn't lower his daggers however.

"And then I disappear.. There's no way I can stay here now I've assaulted a noble." He stated calmly.

"..I heard what you said to him. I called my mother to speak to the girl. Once they know the truth there's going to be punishment for the bastard. You won't be held accountable.. You can come back.. You don't have to leave Marco. You don't have to leave me behind." If she was nervous or scared her voice did not betray her. Marco put his daggers away and walked closer to her.

"Why would anyone care? I know slavery is legal here? I've seen what the people do with slaves before and I've seen much worse go unpunished. Why do you want me to stay anyway? We barely even know each other.."

"Because Mewni is different.. Or it can be.. We can make it different. Sure people will be annoyed because you punched him but they will learn that doing such.. Things.. Is not going to be tolerated. I overheard.. You and Heckapoo.. Not that much.. But enough to know you leaving isn't a new thing.. I felt it before you know.. That you were like a leaf in the wind and if I didn't hold you tight you'd fly away. I don't care that we don't really know each other.. Or that your hiding stuff. You are the first friend I've made that I truly feel like I can't lose. I don't know why but being with you makes me better.. It makes me stronger.. And I don't want to lose you.. I don't care who comes after you whether it's the guards or my Mum I will fight by your side and protect you.. I'm strong you know!"

Marco stared at her, in shock of what he was hearing, he had never really felt too close to any friend he met in the past, with too few even surviving and here was this small girl promising to protect him and begging him to stay. Normally he would have knocked her out and disappeared into the night but like before he felt himself unable to abandon the thought of finding a place by her side.

He sat down and sighed, with Star sitting down beside him. He didn't speak but pulled some spare food, drink and some blankets from his bag. They wrapped up and sat in silence until Marco decided to speak.

"I had a friend I met.. Just before you.. We travelled together for a few weeks fighting beasts and monsters.. We had a great time. Eventually as we were readying up to fight with a banshee he received word that his sister had been born and he was to return home as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to return home but it was a small village or town several days travel away. I understood how much it meant to him so I let him borrow my scissors and return home. I finished up the banshee easily and set off to rejoin him. I thought of all the great adventures we could have and the places we could discover. I approached the neighboring town to rest up for the night but found it mostly destroyed. Speaking to the residents I found out it was the work of a hydra. I decided to kill it before heading off to find my friend. I think I knew.. Deep down that it was not going to work out but I headed to the town regardless. I found his bag and my scissors. He must have hidden them before trying to fight. If he was smarter he could have used them to escape but I think he wanted to protect everyone.

The day I met you was the same day I found the bag.. I'm sure you probably think I'm horrible for going off and having fun after that but the card to the bounce lounge was in the bag, he had always wanted us to go. I decided out of respect to check it out before leaving this dimension.. I'm glad I did as I got to meet you.. I know it may sound stupid but it's like he guided me to you." Marco looked down to see the crown of her head on his. He thought maybe she had fallen asleep and decided to follow suit. Unknown to him Star sobbed quietly hearing his story realizing that it was just the most recent of his tragedies.

In the morning Marco awoke to Star staring at him. After scolding her and eating their breakfast in near silence they packed up their things.

"So what now?" Marco asked.

"Well we can't go back just yet.. So we need to kill some time" Star replied.

"What about an adventure?" Marco pulled out his scissors and held them up. Star nodded her head furiously as he chuckled.

"Where do you think we should go?" Star asked as she grabbed the rest of their belongings.

"I have an idea." Marco pulled from his pocket the little red and golden card and smiled at it. He turned to Star seeing her eyes full of wonder before cutting open a portal and disappearing into the unknown, leaving the cave abandoned once more.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Darkness We Hide

Legacy Of Loneliness#3

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed :) We would like to say thank you for your comments and hope you enjoy the following chapter. If you have any questions please message 'the black cat' or myself and we will try to answer.**

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 **The Darkness We Hide**

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Sounds of ripping filled the air as a portal opened up. Two individuals fell out and turned to face the scene before them. The two focused on surviving the arrival as unfortunately for them their portal opened up miles above a lake below. Star began to concentrate her magic and from her wand a purple vapour began to appear before forming into a stable state, shaped like a cloud. It flew ahead of her on the descent and caught her. She looked around in a panic trying to find Marco but all she could see was ripples in the water below.

 **"MARCO?"** She called out as she skimmed across the top of the water. She couldn't see him anywhere and the ripples had long stopped. She called out again and again, her voice starting to strain from desperation, hoping to find him when she heard coughing behind her. She turned quickly to see a hand shoot out of the water which soon started to disappear back under and she reached down into the lake grabbing it. Pulling with all her might they came to a halt on the shore of the lake, both breathing heavily.

Star rushed to his side, swinging her dripping wet hair over her shoulder. She noticed that his leg was damp and not with only water but with blood. She reached forward and tore his jeans revealing a massive gash across it. _"This is why he was struggling to swim."_ She reasoned. Star thought back to one of the basic spells she had learnt earlier and began to chant.

 _ **"O' Water so clear and pure,**_  
 _ **Come forth and spare some more,**_  
 _ **Flow from my magic into my sight,**_  
 _ **Come forth and become my might."**_

As she had finished a stream of fresh and clean water came from the wand which she used to clean his wound. She reached into his bag and pulled out his sewing kit. Inside she found medical supplies for stitching wounds and got to work. He winced as she wove his skin but didn't try to resist. She knew that he had lots of different items and medicines that could probably fix it in seconds but without knowing what was what Star decided to play it safe by going old school and treating him the only way she knew how. Star dried the wound and began to bandage it before sitting down beside Marco and then laying with him.

"So well this adventure has been a blast so far bestie."

"I don't know about you but this is about the norm for me, although this time I had you to watch my back and save me. Thank you Star.." Marco reached across and held her hand. It was still wet with his blood but the warmth from his touch helped her warm up a tiny fraction.

"It's okay.. It's my fault really.. I didn't know what medicine to use so had to do it like that.. It might leave a scar Marco. If I had never taken us to that party you wouldn't have gotten in trouble and hurt like this." Star sighed, she felt Marco's grip get tighter.

"Star it's not your fault. I chose to get involved.. I had to.. Look I can't tell you everything all at once but I've been in a similar situation to her. I was held against my will and forced to do things I didn't want to do. I couldn't stand seeing her in the same way. It's not you on. It's on me. Anyway this is an adventure isn't it? What adventure doesn't start with something to overcome? Come on Bestie, let's get a move on." Marco went to stand but almost fell, Star grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder.

"Let me help you a little at least. So what should we do on this adventure? Head to the city?" Star asked as the two began to walk. They both looked up and across the far reach of the lake they could make out large structures and buildings, which most likely was some sort of city.

"No... let's look around a little first, see what this dimension is like." Marco was hesitant to go straight to the city. He had a good impression of Hope Fullbright but was not one to trust people so easily. The co-ordinates he gave him were close to the city but for some reason were not all too great. Thinking there must be a reason behind it he was hesitant to go straight away.

"Then let's get exploring!"

The pair started to look around. In the nearby area they found a small woods which Star ran off and started to climb some trees. She dropped back down carrying fruit which they decided to try. They reminded Marco of peaches but he kept that to himself and just said they tasted great. Marco breathed in deeply and smelt a familiar scent. Leaves, soil and nature, in Marco's opinion it was something most people neglected to appreciate. After looking more in the woods they headed out to a field. It was wide and full of weird flowers. They seemed to move as the pair did and mimic their movements. Marco watched on as Star twirled around with flowers of red, blue and yellow twirling with her. She sped up which they tried to copy but it was too much for them and their petals scattered in the wind. Marco could have almost called it picturesque how beautiful she looked as the petals followed her dancing.

They carried on walking, Star helping Marco to climb over anything that was too difficult and him leading her away from obvious dangers after she had fallen down a hole. They talked about their pasts a little. Star told him about how she had always been different and felt like no one truly understood her. She wanted adventure and wanted to see the world. She was like her namesake, someone who wanted to see everything the world had to offer looking down at it in all its glory. She told him about her ex-boyfriend, a Demon-kind named Tom, who had anger issues and had ruined things. She was upset as he was really one of the only people who she could connect with. Marco decided to reward her honesty by talking about his time with Heckapoo a little. About how he had originally helped her out with a problem she was having and then earned the right to take the trial. After that he had stuck around a little helping her out with her work and spending time together but chose to leave as he was getting too comfortable. He didn't want to see the world but he had to.. He had things he needed to do and living a happy quiet life wasn't one of them. Nonetheless the part of Marco that embraced Star and her weirdness was growing stronger everyday and was grateful that it got to see the world. Grateful that the beauty that all the dimensions wielded could be used to heal the void in his heart. Star wanted to ask more but was thankful for the truth he had already given so held back. She didn't want to ruin the mood they had built up.

He suddenly stopped them both and told her to follow him. She was confused at first when he suddenly disappeared from view. She ran to where he was but found herself sliding down into a cavern on incredibly smooth rock. She felt the wind rush by her as she raised her hands and yelled out in glee. As she went to exit the tunnel she found herself landing safely in Marco arms with him smiling down at her.

"Follow me." He grabbed her hand and led her into the cavern, the ground was smooth like the tunnel had been so it was easy to walk on and there was a small stream running beside them. Marco couldn't see but Star's face was full of colour and donning a massive smile. He led them until they came to a wider area inside.

"Alright now I need you to do that spell you did when you found me in the cave I was hiding in!" He said with a big smile. Star raised her eyebrow confused but decided to go along with him. She raised her wand and let the light glow brightly. Around them all of the rocks and stones seemed to burst of colour as crystals in the rocks glowed bright. There was every kind of colour as the light bounced around them. Star's blue eyes lit up with sparkles as she span around looking at them. She ran forward and ran her hand across them.

"Marco, this is amazing? How did you know this was here?" She asked not letting her eyes wander from the glowing crystals.

"I realised a little while ago that I have been in this dimension before, I usually avoid capital cities and Kingdoms and stick to small villages but the area looked similar so I thought I'd take a wager that I was right and I was." He replied with a smile. He was trying not to remember what had happened here before but it was proving harder than he thought.

"...You've seen this before?"

"Sort of.. I fell down here when I was here and had to get out of here. I used a torch and it only showed a small amount of colour. I figured with your magic you could really make this place... magical." He was worried she would be disappointed but she turned and run up to him hugging him tightly. He had started to no longer mind her touch and returned her hug.

"What was that for?"

"Keeping your promise to show me amazing things." She beamed. Marco thought to the time where he gave her parents the rare flower and remembered mentioning he'd show her cool stuff in time.

"Well this is but one of many cool things out there Star."

"You mean you'll show me more?"

"Loads more!"

"Thank you.." She whispered and she held him even tighter. He smiled and blushed, glad she wasn't able to see. The pair enjoyed the sight for a little while longer before leaving the cavern. On the way out they passed the skeletons of four giant creatures. Star asked Marco what they could be and he said he wasn't really sure. They soon found another wood and began to walk through it. Marco looked at his body and realised he still healed faster than the average person. One of the perks of travelling around a lot is you pick up some good abilities. It would only take an hour or two before it was good as new but he decided to keep it quiet. It was letting the pair bond more now that he was depending on her.

"Come on Marco we're nearly out of here. Let's see what other amazing sights this place has!" Star yelled as she ran into the clearing outside the woods. Marco smiled before trying to catch up with her when he realised she had stopped. He looked round her to see what had stopped her and the sight almost broke his heart.

The ground was black and charred with the only remains of what the area once was being the tree stumps on the ground. In front of them there were hundreds as far as the eye could see. It was deforestation as he remembered. It happened back on his home before.. He had left. Images flashed in his mind of people running as the area around him was burning. Smoke filled his lungs and screams filled the air. He shook his head shaking off the memory and trying to concentrate on Star. To someone like Star who grew up loving nature and exploring it the sight in front of her was nothing but death. He looked at her as she shook with rage.

"Who would do this? Marco.. Who would destroy all of these beautiful trees." She turned to him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know Star.. It wasn't like this when I was here.. I can't tell you who did this.." He admitted regrettably. Star seemed to pause before waving her wand and summoning the purple cloud again.

"Well I'm going to find out." She grabbed his hand and jumped on the cloud. It was going so fast she couldn't hear his voice of protest over the wind. He held onto her hand for dear life not wanting to repeat the situation that had happened earlier. They flew over the cavern, the fields of flowers and the small woods before arriving back at the lake. Flying across it they approached the Kingdom they had seen before. The streets were bustling with people and the Kingdom itself seemed to be a nice one unlike the sight before them. Growing up in royalty Star had a knack for knowing what building would hold the person most important and so she flew to the entrance. Some guards walked over to them.

"Excuse me, You cannot be here without permission." One guard stated reaching out to stop Star but she grabbed his hand and threw him into the wall. The other guard reached out to stop her but Marco leapt forward and punched him. She kicked open the doors leading into the royal room and found the person sitting there. She walked in front of them and kicked the desk out of the way.

"My name is Princess Star Butterfly of the Butterfly Kingdom of Mewni, I demand answers as to why you are destroying the nature around your kingdom in such disgusting ways. Large areas of the forest have been cut down and burnt killing all the life inside them. Tell me now!" She demanded. Marco was curious if she was actually going to cause an inter-dimensional incident with this but was willing to stick by her side as she stuck with him. The person Star was interrogating turned to Marco.

"Before I answer you Princess Star, What do you think of it young man?" Marco looked into his eyes and sighed.

"I think it was horrible, I've been here before and the place I remember was beautiful and full of life. I'm angry and I want answers." Marco replied. Hope smiled at his answer.

"Well I agree with you both, it is as you've said, it's disgusting." He admitted.

"Then why?" Star asked not dropping her guard.

"I'll start with introductions, My name is Hope Fullbright, Prince of the Kingdom of Babylon. I have only been in charge for the last few weeks after my father passed away. My first royal outing was to the party last night where I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Marco. Truthfully my father was not a good man or a good king. He was selling territory to corrupt nobles and ignoring the damage they had done. We are meant to have laws that protect the beauty of the lands and instead he traded our promise to the people in for treasure and personal pleasures. I apologise to you, Princess Star, I should have done more to stop him once I found out but now I am working to reclaim the lands and return them to their previous state." Prince Hope bowed his head to the two in apology. Star looked like she wasn't sure of what to say or do, having been expecting much resistance. Marco on the other hand felt that all the answers hadn't been given.

"Why did you want us to see that?" Marco asked sternly. Star turned to him confused but Hope stood up with a smile.

"You really are very sharp Sir Marco."

"It doesn't take much to realise that you purposely put our dimensional entrance co-ordinates close to the damage. You saw me and knew I'd be hesitant to trust you after that and would probably suggest avoiding the Kingdom for looking around which would mean we'd definitely see what we did. What I want to know is why?" Marco kept his eyes locked with the Prince whose smile still hadn't faded.

"Well you see-" Just as he started explaining yelling could be heard from the entrance. An aged man burst in rushing ignoring the calls of the two recovering guards. Marco slowly moved behind Star to not be seen directly by the individual. A move that Hope took note of.

"My Prince! I apologise for bursting in like this however we need aid. My name is Malachi and I come from the village in the north. We are in grave peril. The bandits who work for the corrupt and vile bastard who manages our village have kidnapped all of our children. They took my daughter my lord. They wish to blackmail us to sell our land to them since your father, the previous King is no longer around." The elderly man bowed his head desperately. Hope moaned loudly before looking at the maps on his desk.

"Malachi, is the noble who manages your village Sir Samael?" Hope asked without looking back.

"Yes My Prince, He is a horrible and cruel man who only wishes to gain from our suffering. We have been forced to pay heavy taxes and our pleas for aid were ignored and punished. I pray that with you now leading us you will take charge and save my family and our village!"

"I can't I'm afraid Malachi" The Prince turned with a face full of regret. Malachi looked up confused.

"Why!?"

"Without evidence I would just be using my power to subject him, if he plays it right he could get the other corrupt nobles to rise against me and remove me from the throne as an unjust king. I can't allow them to win in this game so I have to play it smart and without evidence I can't act." He admitted.

"Then who can!" Malachi demanded. Hope paused to think when another voice joined the conversation.

"We can!" Star announced.

"You?" The man stated. "What can a little girl do?"

"That little girl is the Princess of the Butterfly Kingdom, Princess Star Butterfly" Hope added causing the man's mouth to drop open.

"My apologies Princess, I was not aware.. If you wish to help us then I will gladly accept your help.. Please save my family." Hope smiled before turning to the pair.

"I can't officially ask this of you but if you choose to help I would greatly appreciate it. If you can find evidence of the crimes they commit send word and I will bring the army to support you. In the mean time I will send an aid to help you as you head to the village and any supplies you need." Hope once again bowed to the Princess, which she returned.

"Malachi, ask Hope for what you need and then we'll be off, the sooner the better." Star moved to go help the guards she had knocked down earlier letting Marco come into sight. Upon seeing him the man's eyes grew wide in recognition. Marco raised his finger to his lips to indicate silence before rushing to help Star.

"Trust them Malachi, they will surly save you." Malachi bowed to the Prince before rushing to join the pair.

* * *

/

Star waved goodbye before running to join Marco and the two people joining them on their journey. Marco was caught in conversation with the woman.

"Thank you so much for saving me Sir Marco, I will be eternally grateful." The red haired girl said as she bowed her head to him.

"Please don't bow.. I did what anyone would have done, but why are you here?" Marco asked concerned.

"You say that but no one had done it before. They all stood and watched, ignoring me and the others before me. I'm here because once I was finished talking with Queen Moon she was planning to send me into hiding since I would be a target of assassination for standing trial against that pig. While she was thinking of where to send me Lord Hope offered me a position as his secretary here in Babylon. When asked why he said he wanted to protect someone willing to stand up against the corrupt and thought I deserved a chance to make a happy life for myself. He told me you would be coming so I would get my chance to thank you so I was expecting to wait for a while. I had no idea you'd be coming the next day. I guess that's what Heroes are like, always showing up when you least expect it." Marco went to reply that he wasn't a hero but Star had grabbed the girls hand and zoomed off on a cloud. She wanted to bond with the girl and fix her hair up while they travelled. Apparently good friends was hard for Star to come by since most people only approached her with agendas so for her to spend time with a girl other than Pony Head was rare. Marco sighed before matching pace with the man and walking beside him.

"So Malachi, how many people are we up against and what do you think the plan of attack should be?" Marco asked as he began taking notes.

"Before I answer Sir Marco, I want to ask why you are pretending not to know me?" Malachi asked back. Marco sighed, hoping that this conversation was one he could have avoided.

"I'm currently under the employ of the Butterfly Kingdom, who rules Mewni. I am meant to help the Princess and stop her from causing trouble. I have to set a good example for her which honestly I feel like I'm failing at the moment. I trust her and have started to tell her of my past but too much would only complicate things and what happened in the past with you is too much for her to know."

"Sir Marco I fail to see how the Princess would judge you for what you did.. You saved all of our lives and protected us when everyone else had abandoned us.. Even as a small boy who hadn't even reached his teens you protected everyone at great risk to yourself. I was worried you had died from your wounds but you seem to be thriving and have grown into a capable young man. I spoke to the young miss who is joining us, it seems your habit of saving people hasn't changed. Thank you for before."

"You don't need to thank me.. I was only repaying a debt.."

"I'm not sure one hot meal counts as an equal cost.."

"When it's the first meal you'd had in weeks and when you're on the verge of starvation that meal was priceless. Your wife really knew how to cook. I'm sorry I couldn't save her too.." Marco admitted glumly when the old man slapped him on the back.

"Now don't you pull that face, my darling wouldn't want our hero to feel bad. You saved everyone you could and if you hadn't I would have lost my daughter and my own life that day too. My darling would only look down with gratitude and high hopes for you." Malachi smiled down at Marco who returned his smile. The two paused in silence and heard screaming behind them. They turned to see Star and the young miss flying towards them. They jumped onto the cloud and the group flew forward at a fast pace.

"What are you doing Star!"

"I don't have too much control Marco! It's a new spell and I'm not sure how to stop so I figured we'd just ride the rest of the way." She yelled back. Marco nodded to Malachi who gave them directions as they flew through the sky. Marco had wanted to enjoy the view on the walk but couldn't see much with his eyes watering from the wind hitting his face. He grabbed the hand of the red haired girl as she seemed to be slipping while Star held onto Malachi. Their journey was meant to last several hours but half an hour later they were approaching the village.

"Everyone grab onto me!" Marco yelled loudly which everyone did. He jumped from the cloud and stabbed his daggers into a tree. They fell to the ground only slowing thanks to the daggers before coming to a stop as a pile of people on the floor. Thankfully, due to Marco's quick thinking no one was injured.

"On the way back... we are walking!" He stated clearly as everyone started laughing.

"I'll lead the way." Malachi lead them into the village where it seemed no one was around. Malachi looked worried as he ran from house to house. Marco and Star started to scan for the presence of people when they detected someone. They ran to the house and kicked in the door to find a crowd of people holding swords pointed at them.

 **"WAIT! THEY'RE HERE TO HELP!"** Malachi rushed in front of the two teens to stop them being impaled. The villages lowered their arms and welcome their friend back. Once everyone had calmed down the three newcomers took to introducing themselves.

"Hello I'm Star Butterfly from the Butterfly Kingdom and we are here to help." She stated proudly. She was met with cheers and applause.

"Pleasure to meet you all, I am the recently appointed secretary to Prince Hope Fullbright, I am here to aid where I can and act witness to the crimes being done against you. My Princes wants to be here in person but without evidence he cannot act so I have come in his stead. My name is Ember Frost, I hope I can be of service." Ember bowed to the people who all bowed back. She rushed to start treating their wounds while Marco and Star watched impressed. Both had forgotten to ask her name and thought that she had a rather unique and interesting name.

"Hello my name is Marco Diaz, I am an aid to the Princess and hope to be of service." Marco had barley finished speaking when everyone erupted in applause, cheers, tears and all started to bow to him. He was worried that the others would recognise him like Malachi and he was right. They all started to pray to him and Malachi had to step erupted in applause,

" **CALM DOWN!** Yes it is true he is the boy who saved us all before. He has returned and agreed to help us. We should be grateful and respect his privacy. Please keep the past to yourselves and do not pressure him." When he had finished he nodded to Marco and the two left so that Malachi could show him where he needed to head.

"What was that?" Ember asked Star confused. She looked at the people, she knew the look it was the same face she wore when she looked at Marco, one of complete appreciation but at the same time it was much more.

"I don't know.. He said he'd been here before.. But didn't say what had happened.." Star replied. She approached the nearest person to her.

"Erm.. Excuse me.. Can you please explain why you all acted like that when you saw Marco? Have you met him before?" The people all looked at each other worried.

"I'm sorry Princess.. We have been asked to respect his privacy and keep the past hidden.. I cannot tell you as to us that boy is a hero who we cannot and will not offend or betray. He saved us all and we have waited every day since to thank him for it.. We cannot betray his trust even to you.. I apologize but if he hadn't acted we would all have died." And as if to get away from the conversation everyone left confusing Star and Ember more.

"What exactly did he do here?" Star asked confused.

"What he always does apparently.. Save people.." Ember replied. Star looked over to her to see her smiling. She couldn't help but think the girl was incredibly beautiful and that she understood why her beauty had been the target of envy.

"You are probably right.. Except this time he is not alone." Star went out to join them followed quickly by Ember.

* * *

/

Marco and Star climbed over the edge of the cliff, finally reaching the top, and both took a second to breath. Beneath them they could see the village far below, they had left Ember behind to help treat the people of the village who were wounded in the attack and headed off with just the pair hoping that smaller numbers would draw less attention in the unfamiliar terrain. They knew the hideout was east of the village but had headed north-east in order to get the drop on the people.

"So... Marco.." Star started as they climbed over some fallen trees.

"I think I know what you're going to ask.. It's okay.. Ask away.." Marco replied heavily. He was going to trust Malachi's advice and tell her what had happened.

"What happened in the past?.. Why do they all look up to you the way they do?" She asked without hesitation. Star was prepared to not ask about the past when she considered it something they'd never come against but now it seemed like Marco's past was catching up on him.

"..Well I suppose I can tell you a little story.. It started 3 years ago when I was 11.. I had just escaped to this dimension from some horrible people and was nearly starving. At that time I didn't have my scissors and wasn't as trained as I am now.. I was just a weak kid who needed food." Marco began to tell his story to Star.

 _"Are you okay?" Marco looked up from the floor. It took all his energy to even lift his head. In front of him was an lady probably in her late forties, early fifties. She had a long green dress and deep brown hair. She looked at him with a worried face._

 _"..fine.." Marco mumbled out. He pushed himself up and tried to walk away before falling down again._

 _"Hmm.. I don't think so.." The lady said. She bent down and picked him up._

 _"..Put me down.." He mumbled trying to resist her but he was much too weak. She put him over her shoulder and began to carry him down an incline._

 _"I think not young man, I don't know who you are or what your circumstances are but the day I leave a child abandoned in the middle of the woods in your condition is the day I stop calling myself a person. Plus I have a daughter similar to your age and I'd like to think someone would help her like I am helping you." She answered gleefully. He tried to get free but it was no use. He felt himself passing out and everything blacked out._

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _"So let me get this straight? You found a strange boy on the floor in the woods and you decided to bring him home with you?" A man's voice asked a short distance away._

 _"Oh Malachi, don't be like that, Yes I brought him back with me. Apart from the rags he's wearing and his strange bag that boy is skin and bone. He is covered in scars and bruises. His wrists and ankles look like he has been chained up and given that the only places that slavery would be okay with around here are at that disgusting nobles place I wasn't going to leave him on the forest floor. Now accept it and go set the table, also find some clothes the boy can wear." The woman replied sternly. There were a few grumbles from the man but he seemed to be doing as told._

 _"Goodness Evangeline, you are far too kind for your own good." The man grumbled. Marco could hear them getting further from his position so he opened his eyes and found himself in a small bedroom. The house was made of wood and the room seemed empty, probably a spare room. He dragged his body to the door, snuck around the house and began to head to the front door when a weighted presence jumped onto his back. He fell to the ground and felt moving above him._

 _"Caught ya', where do you think you're going!" Marco turned to see a girl probably a few years younger than him pinning him down. He realised it was futile to resist as even she was overpowering him in his weakened state. She looked a lot like the older lady that had picked him up._

 _"I.. I have to keep moving.." Marco mumbled to the girl._

 _"Hmmmmmm" She seemed caught in thought before getting off him._

 _"Thank you.." Marco said while standing up and limping to the door._

 _"Don't thank me, Wasn't helping you." She replied. Marco paused and turned to her as she smiled mischievously._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"DAD! The sick boy is trying to run away!" She yelled out loudly. Marco turned to try to run away but he felt too strong hands pick him up. He tried to get free but found himself forced into a chair at the dinner table._

 _"Stop resisting kid. My darling has decided to help you and nothing stops her once she has set her mind on it." The older man known as Malachi stated. He finished setting the table while Evangeline started to put food in front of them. The young girl helped her mother to put the food in front of them. Marco was originally going to try to escape again but he found his stomach rumbling and drool coming from his mouth. He started to grab the food on his plate and eat as fast as he could. Suddenly a hand hit his head gently. He looked up to see Evangeline looking down at him._

 _"Manners young man, I know you're hungry but in this house we don't eat like animals, use your knife and fork." She then passed him a napkin and returned to her seat. He wiped his hands clean before picking up his knife and fork and started to devour the food on his plate. He was so caught up in eating he never realised the other 3 kept filling his plate up. They ate in silence until he couldn't eat anymore. He was hoping to relax when the girl started to clear the table. He looked up to see Evangeline with a pair of scissors and a brush._

 _"Now time to cut that hair of yours and then you can take a bath.. Putting it kindly you smell bad." Marco had given up resisting and sat silently as she cut his hair. She hummed a calming tune as she tidied up his hair. He was almost scared by the kindness it had been so long since he had received any. When she had finished the man from before picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. He undressed himself and cleaned himself. On the chair next to him he found a pair of clean clothes. He put it on and then put his bag back on. He walked out to find the couple sitting waiting for him._

 _"Okay, we aren't going to ask you to tell us everything that happened but we want you to know you are safe here.. The room you woke up in is spare and if you want go up and sleep there. You can stay here until you are ready." Malachi said stubbornly, it was clear these weren't his words but he wasn't going to argue with his wife._

 _"Thank you.." Marco said quietly before heading to the room. He laid on the bed and started to drift off when there was a knock at the window. He looked up to see the little girl. He opened the window and she threw a small bag at him before disappearing. He opened it to find some sweets. He ate one before sitting back on the bed. It was delicious was all he could think. He drifted off to sleep._

 **SMASH!**

 _Marco shot up in shock. His ears filled with the sounds of screams and panic. The door in the room flew open and the man picked him up. He carried his daughter with his other arm and they ran from the house._

 _"What's happening.." Marco tried to ask._

 _"This land is mostly peaceful but there are some horrible creatures that come out at night. Usually they are killed and stopped by the King's knights and the noble who manages the area would send aid but the one who manages us is a horrible cruel man who would not send us aid as in his eyes we are nothing but pests. We usually aren't the target of the creatures but food has been scarce so now they've come for us." The man ran away from the sounds of the creatures. Marco looked back and saw giant silhouettes smashing the house they had just left. He turned and saw that they were running towards Evangeline. Marco assumed they would be okay when a dark shadow appeared behind her. It reached down and grabbed her as her screams and the sounds of bones crunching filled the air. Marco kicked free of the man, he had regained some of his strength and knew he needed to act. He reached into his bag and grabbed his daggers and a small cube. He threw it up and it exploded like a flash bang blinding the creature. It dropped Evangeline and Marco caught her and took her to Malachi._

 _"Go." Was all Marco said before he ran at the creature. He had seen what it looked like when the light had faded and realised it was a cyclops. Something he had only heard of in legends. He threw his dagger straight into its eye and cut at the tendons in it's legs forcing it to the floor before slitting it's throat. Before it died it called out to its fellows which drew them away from the villagers and after Marco. He called out to them and made them chase him. The other villagers quickly took the chance to grab the wounded and escape into the woods. Marco led them to a clearing and in the moonlight he got a clear view of them. There were four others, including the dead one there would have been five. He ran from them as they chased him. He quickly realised he wasn't going to get away when one of them swatted him to the floor. They lifted him up and carried him. He swung in their grip and could see them carrying their dead companion. Cannibalism wasn't something they would refrain from and their dead would make a filling meal. They walked for several hours before coming to a cavern. The one carrying him threw him against the wall and they started to tear apart their companion. Marco got up and started to limp away. He snuck out unnoticed and began to run across the plains when he fell into a hole. He slid down the smooth tunnel until he landed with a thud on the floor. He could hear the cyclops' from the left side so headed deeper into the cavern. He turned his torch on after going through a small hole in the wall and found himself in a room full of crystals. He treated his wounds and went to sleep. When he awoke he was in pain, small rays of light began to pour in and he snuck back to the main chamber. The cyclops' were all sleeping, the skeleton of their companion picked clean of meat. Marco rushed forward and began to slit their throats one by one. He finished with the third when he turned to the fourth to be greeted with a large eye. It sat up quickly and tried to swat him. He dodged, just, and ran towards the entrance. He evaded it's swings and began to see the light of the entrance when the cyclops threw something at him. He fell and rolled to a stop. It picked him up and opened its mouth wide, letting him fall it swallowed him whole. He dug his dagger into its throat and began to tear it apart from the inside. Realising it was being attacked it spat him back out but the damage was too much and it began to choke on its own blood. He rushed forward and ended its life._

 _He dragged his broken body to the entrance and left. He walked until he found a small pond and cleaned himself up. He heard someone nearby and hid. It was a bandit. He was talking to himself._

 _"Bastard. Thinks he can talk to me like that. I'll show him." Marco watched as the deranged man opened his bag and went through it._

 _"Perfect.. A one-time dimensional gate.. if I tamper with it I can turn it into a bomb.. A perfect bomb to end the life of that prick and all of his dickhead lackeys." Marco flinched at the word bomb. He snuck up on the man and knocked him out with a strong hit to the back of the head. He looked in his bag and saw a mix of id's and possessions that clearly didn't belong to the man. Some of which were covered in blood. Marco held his hands over the man's mouth and nose and killed him. He dragged him back to the cave and left him there. He used the dimensional gate and disappeared into the unknown._

/

Marco paused as he finished his story. He didn't want to turn to meet Star. He was afraid that she would judge him for what he did. He waited for her to judge him, to scorn him and call him a murderer but instead her arms wrapped around him. He could feel her shaking and crying behind him.

"I'm sorry." Star sobbed. He turned to see her.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked confused.

"I'm sorry for making you talk about it.. I'm sorry you had to go through that.. I'm so sorry.." She carried on sobbing. Marco patted her head gently.

"Don't be sorry Star.. Honestly as much as it means so much that you'd cry for me you shouldn't. I'm fine.. I just did what I could to survive." Marco replied gently.

"You didn't have to risk your life to save them.. No wonder they all want to thank you.. If it wasn't for you they would have died."

"Maybe.. I never went back before today so I didn't know if they were okay."

"But you saved them and if you hadn't stopped that man then he would have killed loads of people. Marco you are a hero. Why are you so afraid of people seeing you as one." She asked earnestly. Marco paused and pushed her away.

"Because Star.. I didn't save everyone.. And because the good I do will never outweigh the bad I've done.. I could save people for the rest of my life.. I will never be a hero." Marco answered in a cold tone. Star wanted to ask what he meant but couldn't find the strength to do so. Truthfully she was afraid to find out the answer, how one person who saved so many would view themselves as a monster.

"Well.. I think you are a hero. I'm not someone who needs protecting but I'd have you watch my back any day and every person back in that village see you as a hero too.. Even if you don't." Star then fell silent. She headed ahead of him leaving him to think about her words.

After catching up the two carried on in silence until they found a crudely built building hidden in the woods. Marco signaled silently to Star to follow him. The two headed to the roof and snuck inside. The whole place stunk and they realised that the building then continued into a cave. They used their skills, all their technique and stealth to sneak past all the guards and bandits. Marco was counting them as they passed numbering the bandits at 20-30 in number. He stopped Star as they reached a new corridor. She gave him a puzzled look.

"It smells of death.. Prepare yourself." He whispered to her. He picked the lock on the door and they carried on forward. The area they were in was part of the cave. It was a makeshift dungeon and each room was locked as a cell. Picking the first door they opened it up to find a bunch of children huddled in the corner in fear. Star moved closer to whisper that they were here to save them. Marco continued to the second room where he opened it to find a few adults and more children. The adults were badly beaten and stood in front of the children. He whispered the same as Star and one of them recognized him. He started crying and thanking Marco, the others seeing his reaction realised they were actually being saved.

Star caught up with him and they moved to the third room. Marco felt the stench getting stronger and opened the door. Inside was mainly females. They were tied to the wall and had been beaten. On the floor was a bunch of whips and metal tools. Star started to free them but Marco headed for the on to the right and let her down. He grabbed a vial from his bag and poured it into her throat. He then bit his finger till it bled and let the blood go down too. It was one of his lesser healing medicines that he'd develop, however it needed his blood to active the chemical reaction inside and begin the healing process.

The girl opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Hey.. Sick boy.. You didn't die?.. or have I finally died..?" She managed to laugh.

"No.. Your Dad sent me.. We're here to save you.." He felt rage boiling inside him. She laughed again before falling unconscious. He moved to the next room and opened it up to find a room full of dead people. He closed the door and locked it again. Walking back to the entrance he felt Star grab him.

"Where are you going?" She whispered aggressively.

"Stay here. I'm going to fix this." Marco went to leave Star and head back into the hideout however she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"I don't take orders from you.. I can help you." Star whispered again. She could feel the strain on his arm where he wanted to leave with no more words said but she wasn't about to let him leave that easily.

"Marco-" Star started to say when he turned round and grabbed her by the throat. He pinned her to the wall, holding her hand to the wall and pinning her with his body. The onlookers were startled unsure what to do with their rescuers turning on each other.

"Shut up and listen to me. You need to stay here and look after them." Marco tilted his head to the prisoners. Star didn't look, her eyes remained fixed on him. She tried to free herself from his grip but found no matter how much strength she gathered it was pointless.

"I can hel-"

"STAR. You can help me by waiting like a good girl. Stay here. We both know what I'm about to do. You are the Princess of a Kingdom and the next in line to the throne you cannot have this on your rap sheet." His anger seemed to be fading the more he talked. She could hear it. She smiled realising that the kind Marco she was beginning to know was only angry for her sake.

"But you can?" She forced her head into his line of vision. Star was aware that Marco would always keep their eyes locked. Whether out of some respect to be honest or his instinct to never take his eyes off of a threat she didn't care. He looked her in her eyes, his brown pair staring into her light blue. The tips of their noses rubbed against each other as both refused to back down.

"...Yes.. whats one more crime to a never ending list? Star.. Please stay.. I don't.. I don't want you to see me like that. I don't care about anyone else.. no matter who sees me as a monster, just, not you. Please, if you really care about me and value me as both a friend and future bestie, Stay." And with that Marco released his grip gently. He turned swiftly and bolted from the room. Star slid against the wall with her legs giving way. She let out a silent scream of frustration at not being able to stop him.

"...You'll never be a monster to me.." Star whispered after him. Turning back to the room, Star started to treat the prisoners and for those who couldn't move she got those able to help put them on her cloud. Several minutes passed in silence when Star heard a voice speak to her.

"Where's sick boy?" Star turned to see the girl who Marco spoke to before sitting up.

"He's called Marco and he is taking care of our exit.." Star said full of doubt.

"He's gone to kill them all hasn't he?" The girl asked with no hesitation.

"..Yes.." Star replied quietly; devoid of emotion.

"That's who he is.. The guy who kills the bad guys.. Everyone back home calls him a hero but I don't think he is.. He's more like the bad guy to the bad guys.. He's the grim reaper for evil." Laughed the girl. Star looked at her and started to question if being taken had damaged her sanity.

"Shut up! He is risking his life to save ours and does everything he can to help people.." Star retorted.

"Your just like all the others.. All you see on him is the light.. But he carries so much darkness with him.. Not many people could kill a Cyclops.. get taken away by them and then slaughter them all. He even killed the serial murderer that worked under the noble that rules this land. He only kills the bad people. Don't get me wrong lady I appreciate him for saving us now and in the past but I don't want him to stick around. Bad things follow him." The girl replied. Star was unable to reply, she wanted to tell her she was wrong and that it was all lies but she couldn't. What she said was too similar to what Heckapoo had said.

 _"I've covered for you before when you went too far and who knows what you got up to during the later years of the trial.."_ Star had been trying to put the words to the back of her mind but she couldn't. The more she knew of Marco and the more she saw how skilled he was part of her grew more worried that maybe all the times he said he wasn't a hero he was talking about something beyond her imagination. Why was an 11 year old alone and starving in the woods? Why has he never talked about his home? And Why is he always moving? These and many other questions filled her mind when all of a sudden there was movement in front of her. She rushed to punch the person when his bloody hand caught her fist.

"It's me." Marco stated. The light from Star's spell revealed his features to her. He was covered in blood. It still dripped from his face as it glued his hair to his head. He had taken his suit jacket off to be used as a blanket by one of the prisoners but his white shirt was dyed red. Star's regret at letting him go alone soared further, she knew he had done what he did to protect both those that needed saving and her but deep down she couldn't let go of the feeling that her inability to stop him made her responsible for what he had done.

"Let's go." Was all he said as he began to lead them out of the hideout. All of the doors that were unnecessary to leave through were closed but the trails of blood on the floor left her to believe he had moved the bodies of all the bandits out of view. Blood ran down the walls and dripped from the ceiling. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared at his blood soaked back. They moved higher in the house. It was clear the men had tried to fight back against the assassin that descended upon them but from the lack of bodies and the destruction in front of them told them all they hadn't succeeded. Finally the group reached the outside of the house. They all breathed in the fresh air, thankful to be away from the stench of death. Marco walked away from the group and took his shirt off. He squeezed out the blood before putting it away into his bag. He pulled out a bottle of water and washed the blood off before getting his red hoodie out. Star hugged him from behind.

She didn't speak as she did but her actions told him a story. She didn't want to know what he had done, she already knew. She wasn't proud of him for doing it or wanted to admit it was the only way to protect the village. He had done something that could grant him damnation but she would be there alongside him. The group started to head back to the village the quick way this time when a shrill voice cut across the silence.

 _ **"STAR BUTTERFLY!"** _Everyone turned to see the source of the voice. Some cried out in shock, some in fear. Star and Marco moved to the front of the group to see the source of the voice. Star looked at the shadows in front of her and let her eyes fall on the smallest one.

"Ludo."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Price Of Trust

Legacy Of Loneliness #4.2

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed :) We would like to say thank you for your comments and hope you enjoy the following chapter. If you have any questions please message 'the black cat' or myself and we will try to answer.**

* * *

 **The Price Of Trust**

Marco's eye remained fixed on the grave in front of him. The wind blew strongly around him whistling as it did. Rain had begun to fall on him yet he didn't move, flinch or even blink as the cold droplets hit against his skin. He heard the crunch of fallen leaves behind him but didn't turn to face the person walking towards him. He knew who it was.

"Malachi.. I really am sorry for everything.." Marco spoke with a soft voice full of guilt.

"I told you already Marco! Do not apologise. You did everything you could, you gave me a few more precious minutes with my wife. I got to tell her I love her and hold her as she passed. She is buried here where she lived rather than being food for a horrible beast. You gave her a peaceful resting place... don't apologise for that." Malachi put his hand on the boy shoulder. Marco flinched but didn't try to stop him. The warmth from his large hands was a familiar comfort to him and he relished the memory of the kindness he once experienced from these hands.

"..However I feel like I owe you a bit of an apology.." Malachi started to say. Marco looked up at the aged man's face and felt like he was looking in a mirror of pain and remorse.

"What could you possibly have to apologise for..?" Marco asked confused.

"I want to apologise for how I treated you.. When my darling first brought you home with her. I was angry she was being reckless and I treated you like an eyesore when I think at that time all you needed was love and kindness. I don't want to end my days not having said this but I'm sorry that my heart wasn't as strong and benevolent as Evangeline's."

"Malachi... seriously you really don't have to apologise for that. The fact you were against the idea made sense to me. I thought at the time, well at least one person in this house is thinking logically. As amazing as she was your wife the weird one. Regardless the kindness you showed me back then saved my life and for that.. Thank you." Marco turned back to the grave and ran his hand across the letters. Evangeline's name was engraved as long as the words _"Always Loved and Never Forgotten"._ Marco could hear a light sobbing beside him and wasn't sure whether he should say more. He heard Malachi walk back to the house without saying anything else. Marco thought he'd have the silence he so badly sought but a softer set of footsteps approaching told him he'd not get his wish.

"You should be resting.. You shouldn't be out here.." Marco spoke to the darkness.

"Neither should you but here you are..." Came it's reply. Marco stood up and turned to see the Malachi's daughter staring at him. She leant on a crutch for support as the wind caused her hair to wave wildly.

"..Are you..-"

"-okay? I'm honestly not sure I ever will be.. But once again thanks to you I am alive again. Thanks for that by the way." She cut across him. He wasn't sure why but he felt that words were full of malice.

"Did I do something to upset you?" He asked without hesitating.

"No.. You saved me, you saved everyone.. You did it again, congratulations Hero!"

"I'm not a hero.."

"But you are.. That's the thing.. You are a hero but you're also a murderer.. A killer.. A monster for all to fear. You are the shadow cast by the light, where you go death will follow and everyone who gets close to you will end up dead." Her voice was colder than the water that fell upon them. Marco felt his heart tighten and his throat go dry. Oddly however, he found some comfort in someone seeing him like that.

"…"

"You don't need to reply.. It's okay. I'm not going to go screaming to the world what you really are because you are needed. There are far too many monsters and bad people out there and I have a feeling they'll be the ones screaming when they meet you. Like I told your princess, you are the grim reaper for evil." She turned to walk away but paused briefly.

"Just so you know.. I don't hate you.. And if anything.. My mum would be happy to know you're doing okay.. Keep the Princess close.. She might do you some good." With that she left leaving Marco alone.

Marco stood up and began to walk through the woods, he headed back up the mountain and back to the bandits hideout. Marco began to sort through all the files he could find inside. There were plans to rob places, evidence of places that had been robbed and finally what he was searching for. The evidence that the noble of the land had been dealing with the bandits. It was strong evidence but not enough. Marco needed more.

He walked back outside and looked at the giant holes in the ground that had been formed earlier when they had first escaped with the hostages.

* * *

 ** _Earlier that day._**

 _"STAR BUTTERFLY!" Everyone turned to see the source of the voice. Some cried out in shock, some in fear. Star and Marco moved to the front of the group to see the source of the voice. Star looked at the shadows in front of her and let her eyes fall on the smallest one._

 _"Ludo." Marco looked over her shoulder at the strange little bird man that stood in front of them. Looking at him, Marco wondered if he was ill or just plain ugly._

 _"Greetings Star Butterfly, At last I've found you! I knew they couldn't hide you for long and soon your wand will be mine and then the UNIVERSE! And then... actually the universe should do it. HAND OVER THE WAND!" Ludo's shrill voice yelled loudly. Marco had heard enough and jumped in front of Star poised to fight when he felt her hand gently grab his hoodie from behind._

 _"No Marco.. This one is my fight.. Stay here and look after them" Star indicated to the terrified group of people behind them._

 _"But Star I can hel-"_

 _"Shut up and listen, you can help me by being a good boy and waiting here.." Marco paused hearing his own words echoed back to him by her. He felt regret for how he lashed out at her before._

 _"Not nice is it? But you were right.. So care for me like I did for you and please let me show you, that I can fight my own battles." He turned to meet her gaze and saw her smiling at him. Her smile was far more dangerous for his heart than anything they could have face as he felt it thumping in his chest. He smiled back at her._

 _"Sure thing Princess, kick some monster butt." He ruffled her hair which made her blush and giggle. He reached into his bag and threw down a cube that spread and formed a shield around the people and himself. He was telling her in actions that she could go all out and that he would respect her wishes. She turned to face Ludo who had been getting agitated all this time._

 _"AM I BEING IGNORED! Really! How rude you'd think they'd raise royal brats better than this. Buff-frog! Remind me when I am ruler of the universe to make sure children remember to be respectful!"_

 _"Buff-frog understands!..." He saluted in response. Ludo looked back at Star who now was staring at him._

 _"Finally ready to give me the wand Star Butterfly!" He yelled out with glee._

 _"Before I answer, how did you find us?"_

 _"He he he Wouldn't you like to know!" Ludo laughed while looking smug._

 _"Yes.. That's why I asked." Star answered deadpanned, Marco started to laugh behind her but managed to hold It in._

 _"Well.. Wait.. I don't have to answer to you I'm going to rule this Universe! Get her!" Ludo yelled out and ordered his men to attack. All of them ran in and tried to attack her. If this had been Star before she'd met Marco she would have tried to take them on one by one slowly but this Star was more experienced and wanted this day to end._

 _"Jellybean Hallucination Mist!" She chanted while jumping into the air and spinning. Around her a light blue and green fog formed and all the monsters froze as their pupils grew wider. She landed quickly and used a light wave of her wand to blow away the fog. She summoned another purple cloud and jumped on top of it. She hovered above the group looking down._

 _"Warnicorn Stampede!" She yelled loudly. The ground suddenly started to rumble around them and the trees shook. From the wand burst a stampede of warnicorns that circled the monsters. They woke up from their delusion and began to back into each other trying to get away from the tightening circle. Finally when they were grouped together Star jumped into the sky._

 _"Mega Narwhale Blast!" Lights flashed and swirled and from the wand burst a rain of falling Narwhale that started to crush the monsters below. They yelled out in pain and anguish as they had no way to dodge and had to take the full brunt of her attack._

 _Star landed gracefully on the ground as the monster began to rise from their daze. She moved in fast and kicked a few slow movers before they could rise. She punched another in the face and then used his body to jump higher to punch the long necked one too. Very quickly all were downed and crawling back to their master. Ludo yelled in frustration before cutting open a portal._

 _"You all embarrassed me! Buff-frog you told me she was defenceless! How did defenceless feel! Back into the portal!" Ludo ushered them all away as Star watched victorious. She picked up a rock from the ground. Meanwhile, Ludo turned back to Star._

 _"You hear me Star Butterfly! You haven't heard the last of-" Ludo's last words were drowned out as Star threw the rock and hit him square on the beak sending him flying into the portal behind his monsters. The portal closed and they were safe once again. Star turned to see the shield coming down and Marco smiling at her happily. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly._

 _"See.. I can do it just fine.. Next time I don't want you to go alone.. No one needs to wait behind Marco."_

 _"Sure thing Star" Marco lied. He had no intention of letting her get her hands dirty. She was the light in his life and he wouldn't let that light darken for scum like the men he had just killed. He'd keep her safe and pure.. Unlike him._

* * *

 ** _Present Time_**

Marco looked on at the large mansion in front of him. He'd snuck onto the grounds of the noble, Sir Samael and was now covertly sneaking past the guards. In his experience any person who had that many guards was either paranoid or trying to hide something. Marco was sure there was a mix of both reasons involved but hoped it was more the second reason. He reached the mansion with ease, realising that Star's lessons had truly paid off and that he should thank her again when he sees her. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of gloves. He slid them on and then pushed his hands against the wall allowing them to stick. Marco remembered being happy with the gadget at first as it reminded him of a friendly neighbourhood hero from his early childhood but now they were a means to an end the villains tyranny.

Marco climbed up slowly as not to alert anyone with too much movement, he was fortunate for the wind and rain as it muffled his noise. He watched as the guards moved around the garden below with no idea that the thing they were being paid to keep out was already inside. Marco thought back to Malachi's daughters words. He was the grim reaper for evil... he had a long list of evil that needed to answer for their crimes. The pain they have caused people and the pain they have caused him. He would get to it one day but for today he'd make sure to protect the precious piece of kindness from his past. Marco moved closer to the window, peering inside to make sure it was clear. He easily picked the lock and entered silently. He dried himself off to not leave any traces of him being there and then moved across the room. He pulled out a pair of googles and slipped them onto his head. They were black rimmed and had green lenses. He reached up and flicked a switch and with a hum they came to life. Night vision goggles were essential if you wanted to see in the dark. He turned to look around the roo and smiled, the bag and its contents were almost solely responsible for him surviving as long as he had.

Marco glided from room to room searching for any evidence he could of the noble's crimes. He was almost sickened by what he saw. In one room he found a person tied up and judging from the table beside them they had been injected with whatever concoction of drugs their sick torturer could come up with. Inside another he found more females being kept. They were all passed out and Marco knew what they were being used for. He felt his body boil up with more rage with each room he searched. He finally found the room he wanted, however, It was the study and inside he found all the contracts Samael had taken out with the bandits. He took pictures of them all, leaving the physical copies as to not draw attention to himself. Marco then headed back to the window he came from to leave when he heard voices. He quickly hid and listened to them.

"Sir.. I really feel like we need to take action? With the Fullbright brat on our tail and now this we could be in trouble.." One man protested urgently.

"Trouble? From him? I'm not about to let some snot nosed little shit ruin me. I am the lord of this domain and everything inside it is mine. So what if some bandit scum got what was coming to them? In the end I should thank the person who did it, they cleaned up a nice loose end for me and I didn't even have to pay them! Now that's what I call charity!" The other voice laughed. Marco's rage continued to boil but he decided it was time to leave and moved to the window.

"But what about that village? The people there are all still alive?"

"So what? If the bandits are dead set some more cyclops on them. They may have got lucky last time but this time they'll all end up as food for my pets." Laughed the second man. Marco closed the window and walked to the door. He opened it and looked at the two people. They both pulled their swords and pointed them at him. Marco slid his goggles down so that they hung from his neck, cracked his knuckles and draw his daggers. Blood from the bandits had dried onto them and both men's eyes quickly darted to the daggers, noticing their red glint, and back to the boy in front of them. The noble took a step back and his blade began to shake.

"Who are you! What do you want!" Yelled the men. Marco smiled at their panic.

"The monster.. Who hunts the bad men."

Star waved goodbye to the people of the village. She bounced over to Marco and Ember who were waiting for her. They had already said their goodbyes to the people they had treated. Marco waved quickly to Malachi and his daughter. They hadn't spoken since the grave and Marco had a feeling that would be the last they ever did. They started to walk back towards the path, both refuting Star's offer to summon her purple cloud.

"So.. This is what you do then?" Ember asked eagerly. She looked at Marco in anticipation. He'd done his best to avoid talking to her and she seemed to have realized if she wanted to talk she'd have to make the effort.

"What do you mean?" Marco replied defeated.

"You go around, saving people and then leaving like it's nothing? You know thinking about it I'd heard of a red hero before.. Now I've met you maybe that's you.." She quizzed.

"You're kidding right? I only came along because Star volunteered us. You might be getting ahead of yourself there." Marco laughed awkwardly while Ember continued to smile at him. Star was walking a little behind feeling a little left out for some reason. She decided to try to get involved.

"So where did you go last night Marco? You were gone almost the whole night?" They both turned to her and then Ember and Star watched Marco waiting for a response. He mulled over telling her the truth but decided to lie for now.

"I went to visit Malachi's wife's grave.. Evangeline. I stayed there for a while and then went to get some space. She really looked after me in the past, as brief as it was, and I wanted to pay my respects." Star felt guilty for asking but was happy that he was talking more about his past.

The three enjoyed talking and taking in the sights on their way back to Babylon. They watched as the snow filled landscape had been washed away by the rain from the prior night. Long green blades of grass burst out from the ground and beautiful flowers of light blue and red broke up the green. Marco couldn't help but think of himself and Star while looking at them. Marco continued to dodge Embers questions but began to feel like Star and her were in cohorts as she followed every question he avoided with one as annoying.

Eventually he agreed to let Star fly them back to get away from the grilling, you can't exactly be questioned when your holding onto a sentient cloud for dear life. She decided to fly straight through again and landed right in front of the two guards they had downed the day before each supporting black eyes. They waved her in giving her space as to not provoke her. She skipped in merrily proud that they had returned triumphantly.

Hope was sitting waiting for them to arrive. He peered up from his desk with a wide grin on his face. He quickly, however, hid a folder under his desk which wasn't unnoticed by Marco.

Ember debriefed Hope on everything that had happened according to the "official" report and thanked him for allowing her to take part in the endeavour. After finishing she was asked to wait outside which, while confused by the request, she complied.

"So, do you want to tell me what really happened?" Hope asked to Star with eyebrows raised. Ember's story of events had included in great detail everything that happened before Marco and Star left and what happened when they returned. The in between was summarised as "They saved everyone and came back." Star looked at Marco confused and worried but started to fill in the gaps.

"Well.. We snuck into their base by scaling the mountain. Using stealth techniques we navigated the base until we found the hostages. Once we found them we made sure they were okay and assured them that we would save them.. And then.." Star paused again which caused Hope to look at Marco who decided to continue the story.

"And then I made Star wait with them while I went and killed all the bandits. I found one cell full of dead bodies. No one from the village was missing however I feel like if you have any missing person cases you can put them to bed as there was enough bodies to explain the disappearances of even a whole village." Star looked at Marco who didn't return her gaze. She realised that it was the prison cell he didn't let her go into, he hid it from her to protect her. Marco continued the story.

"After killing them all I came to get Star and the others. We went to leave when we were ambushed by a strange enemy of Star's after her wand but she perfectly dealt with the situation. We returned the villagers home before resting up and returning here." Marco finished. Hope seemed to mull over his words with scrutiny.

"And that's it?" Hope quizzed him.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure that's everything?" Hope asked again.

"Yes that's all! What are you trying to imply?" Star asked annoyed. She wasn't about to let someone question their actions.

"Nothing.. I just feel you should know that late last night a package arrived. Inside were photographs of documents. These contained all the dealings between Sir Samael and the bandits. It was such damning evidence that we were able to immediately enter his premise and arrest him." Hope's voice was devoid of emotion as he stared at the two youths in front of him.

"Well that's great news isn't it!" Star replied gleefully. Hope sighed and pulled the file he hid earlier. He slid it to Star who started to look through the photos and gasped in shock.

"By the time we reached the bandits hideout the place was burnt to ash. All the documents we received lead us to believe that the whistle blower destroyed it after finding the evidence. In the later pictures it's what left of all the guards, the attendant and Sir Samael. From what we gathered each was restrained, beaten and placed in the lobby. The culprit then freed all the victims, hostages and people being unjustly tortured by Samael. Once freed, these victims, some of which were found to be doped on hallucinogenic and who knows what, decided to exact their revenge on their captors. The restrained individuals show traces of torture, drugging and worse. It appears the culprit let them get a taste of their own medicine. None of the guilty survived the night. All the "victims" are receiving medical help and therapy. None saw the one who freed them however whoever it should have had for foresight to see this happen and by not doing so sentenced these men to their deaths. Instead of answering for their crimes in the light they were condemned. We don't know who did this however.. So as much as it irks me it has to be case closed." Hope finished speaking as Star stared at the pictures. She couldn't take her eyes off of the corpses and tears swelled in her eyes. Marco's face flushed with anger, he tried to hide it quickly but looked up to see Hope staring at him.

"We may never know.. They made the criminals pay for their crimes so we won't pursue them. However next time will be different." Hope remained looking at Marco, who didn't turn away. Unbeknown to Star these words were a warning being told to the culprit.

"Thank you for everything you've done Star Butterfly, I hope in the future I can repay you for your aid. Your mother, Queen Moon, has been in touch and it is safe for you both to head back to Mewni. Marco, thank you for showing me exactly who you are and helping out our kingdom, now and in the past. I hope to see what you do in the future and I hope you walk the path of light and justice. We wouldn't want to see you take the wrong path like our whistle blower." Marco threw a dark gaze towards Hope but he didn't respond. He knew he'd made his point clear and after seeing if Star was alright let them both leave. Ember re-entered the room and rushed up to Hope before slapping him.

"That was cruel and you know it. You didn't have to do that to him in front of her." Ember spat at him viciously.

"I'll forgive you for slapping me, I deserved that. However I think what I did was necessary. You saw those photos, you know what he did. He set a bunch of broken people on those who couldn't fight back. He left them to suffer. I don't know what horrors he has faced in his past or where he comes from. No matter how much I try to look into his past I keep finding dead ends and more questions than answers. He may be your hero and he could be the one who paves the way to the future but if he carries too much darkness with him and acts like this it won't be long before it's too late. He needed to know that it's the Princess he'll hurt if he does." Hope rubbed his cheek surprised by the amount of pain Ember had delivered to him.

"We don't know that! When he left them they were still alive and even if it was his intention he killed the bad people.. Who knows how many people they killed? Who knows how many families have they destroyed? How many more people like me do you think he has saved? You wanted to go down the right path and protect everyone, I'm not saying you are wrong but at the end of the day he saved that village, he stopped them hurting anyone else and he made sure that Star didn't know about it. She was shaken when she came back from that base. She knew what he did there and it shook her so he tried to protect her from the truth. Why would you show her that in front of him?" Ember's anger seemed to be growing. She had waited outside the whole time knowing what was coming.

"...Marco Diaz, Guardian of the Princess. He could be the light this world so desperately needs but he's so shrouded in darkness that he could be just answer villain we need to stop. You are right that he saved the day I'm just saying he didn't need to sacrifice himself to do that. He made himself the bad guy, he took on all the evil and darkness to protect everyone else but if he keeps doing this he will end up broken beyond repair. I showed her in front of him so he could see what he risks both damaging and losing if he carries on down that path." Hope admitted. When he had got the reports and photos on he knew who had done it, the only one capable and he felt responsible. He sent him there knowing he was the sort of person who could do what was necessary but he could never have predicted what happened. Hope looked out at the window and sighed, he would hide what Marco had done like how the bright sun and beautiful view hid the corruption the Kingdom had fostered.

Ember sat down and sighed, a few days ago all she wanted was to die and end her life as a slave and now she felt that she had to live to see what would come of Marco next and what possibly could have led to Marco becoming the person he had. She looked at the report on the desk and read it. It was about where Marco had come from before he arrived in Babylon them few years ago. After reading a few paragraphs tears fell to the paper as she realized why he had understood her pain so much.

King River stood waiting anxiously in the entrance way of the castle, he knew they would be arriving back soon and had been briefed on what she had gone through. He wanted the chance to talk to them before they tried to bottle everything up. Moon was waiting for Star in her room and was going to talk to her about what they had seen and done. She remembered back during the war for Mewni how she fought and struck down enemies and how she wished her mother was around to support her. She would be ready to help her daughter the way her mother couldn't.

River watched the portal form and stepped forward.

"Bumpkin! How wonderful to see you! Come give your good old dad a hug" She ran forward and got enveloped into his arms. He held her tightly as they hugged silently.

"It's lovely to see you, your mother is waiting for you up in your room. She is wanting to speak to you so why don't you head on up to her. I'll keep Marco here company" River beamed a smile at her while Star bounced off up to her mother. He remained smiling until she was out of view. He turned to Marco who was waiting patiently and pulled him in for a hug too.

"Ermm.. King River..?" Marco managed to gasp out through the elders hugs. River smiled and let him down gently.

"Marco m'boy. I have to say I am both surprised and impressed with you. To punch that rotten fool across the room and then escape so swiftly. Then go on a secret rescue mission to bring down a vile man's tyranny. Color me impressed boy, You are turning out to be a fine warrior and an excellent guide for my young Star." River patted him on the back cheerfully. He indicated for Marco to follow him as they walked out into the gardens.

"But.. King River.. I caused you all so much trouble and put Star through something horrible.. I don't think she will be okay with everything that happened ever." Marco confessed glumly. He looked up at River expecting condemnation but inside was comforted by a sympathetic look.

"Marco, do you know how many nobles go unpunished for their crimes? Do you know how hard it is to act upon their crimes?"

"No my King?"

"Too many to count.. Honestly it has been a constant issue for me and my Moonpie our whole ruling. However thanks to your actions we have put to light their crimes and thanks to you we are now able to act upon it. We can make them answer for it and those scoundrels will pay! And that's all thanks to you.." River smiled at him again. Marco tried to return his smile but couldn't manage it.

"..But about Star."

"My little pumpkin.. Yes.. I do say you did take her on a ride of emotion. You showed her everything we'd tried to protect her from for years. Put her in harm's way and led her down a very dangerous road but you also showed her the beauty a place can contain and that even the most lovely looking place can be hiding something. You taught her to question things, even the powers that be. She acted as a leader, a ruler and someone who fought for the innocent. She saw the horrors that can occur if we the ruling party aren't just. I know you also hid the worst from her. You made her aware, something we were hesitant to do but you did it in a way that she can only grow from this. Ever since you came into her life our little Star has started to take her role as a princess seriously. She is studying her magic earnestly, she listens to us when we ask things of her and she is understanding the responsibility as a princess. I know the end doesn't justify the means Marco but so far as I can see you are good for Star" River paused and looked into the garden. He stopped at a tree that seemed different from all the rest.

"You know I planted this tree the day Star was born, I wanted to watch it grow strong like my little girl. It stands out different from the other trees, it's unique and special, just like my Star. But like this tree, she still has much room to grow. I know you have your secrets and I'm not going to question you on them. You are helping Star grow into a wonderful woman, however I do have to ask, try to stay out of trouble for a little bit, too much too fast is no good for any one." River's gaze didn't leave the tree. Marco could tell he was looking at more than the tree.

"...Why are you even trusting Star with me?" Marco asked quietly. River turned to him surprised.

"I mean.. My king.."

"You can just call me River. Having to say 'King' all the time is a bit stiff and I'd rather you acted slightly natural around me. From the moment I saw you I knew that you were a warrior, I knew you held a fierce spirit inside you and that you probably had a past that would be questionable. No one as remarkable as you remains hidden for so long unless you are hiding something. Don't get me wrong, Moonpie is certainly interested in your roots but for me I can see the same spirit of the Johansen clan deep with you. I am a man that trust strength and I see that strength in you. My Star is a little battle machine herself, she doesn't need protecting but I know that if she needed it you'd be there in a heartbeat. You see Star has the same quality her mother had, you can't help but want to help her, to give yourself to them and make sure the smile that beams so bright never falters. I don't trust you Marco, not just yet but I trust your spirit and strength. I hope you don't betray that trust." River gave him one last pat on the back before heading into the castle. Marco remained standing in the garden frozen in thought.

He hadn't expected such honesty from the King and such sincere words either. River didn't trust him completely but he respected him and saw potential in him. Marco felt his heart blaze with warmth, someone had sincerely seen him and accepted him and he didn't want to betray those emotions. Marco thought about how much Star had changed since she met him and how much he has changed thanks to her. River called it a quality that Star possessed and Marco agreed. He wanted to protect her, he wanted to be there for her and help her and he wanted to make sure her smile never faded. He thought about everything that happened and decided he needed to try to cheer her up. He disappeared through a portal leaving the garden empty.

Star bounced down the stairs joyfully stopping to let some of the castle staff pass her. She looked confused and one even starting to cry in joy. Usually she'd would have run into them so fast they'd break bones and now she was stopping to let them pass. Everyone could see the positive effect Marco had on Star and were enjoying this new Princess. She skipped merrily to the garden, Her father had come to tell her Marco was waiting there for her.

Her mother hadn't questioned her about anything, she just told her she knew everything and if Star wanted to talk about it she would listen. Star told her Mother what had happened and how it made her feel. How she was proud that she followed Marco and believed in him, how she was angered by the deforestation. How scared she was when Marco yelled at her and left her to go do what he did. How she realized she was hurt he left her behind, that she felt she should have carried the burden with him. She told her mother about Ludo and rejoiced in how she held her own and fought with her new spells. Her mother smiled when she expressed her joy in what she had learnt and her battle prowess. Eventually Star just held her mother tightly and they stayed like that. Star stood up and thanked her mother before skipping away. Moon watched her affectionately, happy that Star finally was willing to talk and confide in her but disturbed by what had happened.

River looked into the room to find Moon looking back at him with tears in her eyes.

"What has she had to go through when we weren't looking? I let her go after him thinking it would keep her away from the trouble but instead it put her in the worst of it." River moved closer to comfort her. He could feel her shaking in his arms. This was a side to Moon that only he was allowed to see.

"Moonpie, we can't control everything, sooner or later she would have seen this world for what it is." River started speaking, choosing he words carefully.

"Star is a special and amazing little girl. She is the brightness in our life and our joy however she will one day be queen. You know yourself exactly how that feels and what you have to go through." Moon pushed him away and looked at him in disgust.

"River! She should not have to go through what I did! She should never have to see suffering like we did. We were meant to be here to protect her from this. I just told her myself how I never wanted this for her but instead.. It happens under our noses. She was led into a life or dead battle by the boy we entrusted with her care. That's it. I don't care if we don't know his past I want him gone. Out. Star will go to St O's and be safe from harm and-"

"-MOON!" River yelled out angrily. Moon stopped talking instantly and stared at him.

"Stop right now, you cannot blame the boy for this situation. He went to that party because he was following Star. He met Hope Fullbright, because he was by our daughters side. The noble he punched, the village, the bandits and the noble that was murdered. He was only in those situations because we asked him to be by Star's side." Moon listened and her face flushed with guilt.

"Instead of blaming the boy, I thanked him. He proceeded to not only protect Star and hide the worst darkness from her. He managed to teach her about the world. She went there following him but became an envoy of our Kingdom. She protected the innocent, demanded answers from those with power and helped us to hold those accountable that needed to be. As a Princess she had exploded on the political front as both a champion of justice and a warrior to match. His origins may be unknown but what we do know is that he is leading her down the right path. We need him." Moon sat silently playing his words over in her head but it didn't sit as well with Moon as River had hoped.

"So you want me to entrust her to him? For him to lead her into all these situations because it would make her look good as a Princess? River I care for Star not how the world looks at her. What good is her being well behaved and ready to rule if she is dead!" River's expression fell but he wasn't ready to admit defeat.

"Then maybe we should do better at our jobs. I don't want to entrust her to him but we need to for now. Unless we can make the world a better place where she can grow in all we can do is make sure she is surrounded by allies that will ensure she becomes strong enough to survive it. I have always trained her to be strong, always made sure she could fight, magic or not. But I will not always be around to protect her and neither will you so we need people who can do it for us." River argued back. He was fond of the boy. He fought for what he believed in and stood strong to that. He cared for Star, enough to influence those actions. He would die for her, River believed that and as a King and a Father that is exactly who he needed around Star.

"...I still want to know who he really is.." Moon said defeated. She knew River was right and knew she had to accept that Marco was essential but she couldn't erase her fears that there was something not right with him.

"Then we'll find out and when we do we can take action. Star is what is important and we need to do everything we can for her." River held Moon tightly as they remained quiet. Both with fears and worries for their over adventurous daughter who was rushing to meet one of their main concerns.

Star bounced into the garden and ran around looking for Marco only to not find him. She paused for a moment confused before summoning her cloud and looking from the sky. She noticed a ripping sound and turned to see Marco walking out of a portal. She jumped down and landed in front of him with a smile.

"Hey Bestie! Where you been?" Star asked with her smiling shinning bright. Marco grinned back happy to see her.

"Well I figured you might be a bit down after everything that happened so I wanted to do something to cheer you up." Marco answered. He was hiding something behind his back that had almost all of Star's attention.

"Aww you so sweet! What you hiding!" Star tried to look over his shoulder but Marco hid it and swivelled around her.

"No peaking just yet Star I wanna say something first!" He exclaimed while laughing. Star pouted but stood still showing she was listening.

"Thank you Star.."

"What for?"

"Thank you for staying by my side during that mission, I know it wasn't what we wanted when we decided to go exploring but I'm glad we did it. Malachi and his family really helped me out in the past and it helped a lot to talk about it and repay them. Thank you for believing in me." Marco smiled at her while her eyes lit up and her cheeks turned red.

"...You're welcome.." She whispered back. She waited and then looked over his shoulder again making him chuckle.

"Okay.. I'll show you calm down, here" Marco pulled the item from behind his back and showed it to her. She looked and gasped when she realized what it was. It was one of the crystals from the cave. He had gone back and broke one off. He'd also carved it into the shape of a Star. She pulled out her wand and pointed her light magic into it making the Star shine bright. Her eyes mirrored the Star as she looked on at its beauty.

"Marco.. This is incredible.. Thank you so much.." Star felt her whole body fill of heat. Marco turned and started to take something from his bag so didn't notice her hearts on her cheek glow briefly. He pulled out a pink cloud on a stick and held it to her.

"What's this?"

"Try eating it!" Marco said with a mischievous smile. Star shrugged and bit into the cloud like substance and immediately started jumping up and down in excitement.

"Marco! What is this! This cloud tastes so sweet and amazing!" Marco laughed as she devoured the product.

"It's called cotton candy or candy floss. It's another food from where I come from. It's spun sugar that is made to look like a cloud. Awesome right!"

"Super Awesome! You have to make more of these! For everyone in the castle, they need to try these! It is amazing! I have to show my Dad right now!" Star immediately started to run towards the castle leaving Marco laughing as she went. He looked up at the sky and smiled. Maybe things could be okay after all. He chased after Star still laughing as he did.

* * *

Marco closed his door after waving goodbye to Star. He slid down in and rested his head in his legs. He never thought that things would turn out like they had done. Star was okay, his relationship with the Butterfly royalty seemed to be fine but where Hope was concerned Marco wasn't sure.

He reached into his pocket and dialled a new number. He waited patiently as it rang before it was answered with a clear response.

"Hello?" Came through the voice.

"Hello Hope… It's Marco.."

"I was expecting you to get in touch but to be honest I'm surprised. I thought I'd receive a late night hush visit like Samael not a friendly call on a number you shouldn't have and that I haven't given you.." Marco didn't reply to the obvious provocation and in order to fill the silence Hope continued.

"What is exactly you want Marco?" Hope asked feeling exhausted.

Star bounced down the halls of the castle happily. She had made up with Marco, her Dad was proud of her and her Mum was making an effort to accept her. For Star, things were starting to go right for once. She turned the corner and instantly the halls echoed with a crashing sound. Star looked down and saw one of the maids covered in red. It spilled across the floor. Star's pupils went wide as she was entranced by the red. She felt back in the hideout watching the blood drip from the walls. She started to breath rapidly and her vision blurred.

"-cess! Princess!" Star snapped out of it and looked at the worried maid. Usually the maids when making mistakes would panic and bow their heads so low she would hate herself but this time the maid looked her clearly in the eyes. Not worried for herself but for Star.

"My Princess, are you okay? I'm so sorry I was not looking where I was going and ended up alarming you. Are you okay? You seem very pale my lady?" The maid asked concerned. Star looked at her in confusion lost for words. None of the maids had ever bothered talking to her. If she fell everyone would carry on around her knowing she'd bounce back happily and here was a maid concerned. Star hadn't even fallen down, only the maid had.

"I'm fine, sorry I was lost in thought, it's my fault. More importantly are you okay?" Star asked. She noticed that the maid had been carrying tablewear, realizing the red was probably wine. She looked and saw knifes as well and noticed a tear in the maids uniform. She dropped down and saw a small wound.

"I'm completely okay my lady. Please continue on your walk and I'll clean this up." The maid beamed a smile to the Princess. Star meant forward and poked the wound causing the maid to flinch and recoil.

"Okay my butt. Sit down" Star said as she summoned a chair. She started to channel her power into her hand and held it over the wound. Light poured out of her and soon enough the wound had disappeared. Star turned to the mess and used her magic to clean it up. Finally she fixed the maids dress. She had sat in awe at the Princess' power and grace.

"Now, honestly this time, are you okay?" Star asked looking her in the eye. The maid blushed at such a gaze being fixed on her.

"Yes my lady, the pain is mostly gone. A good nights rest and I should be fine. Thank you for caring for one as clumsy as me."

"It's no problem, after all, it was my fault. Stay in the chair it'll take you to the nearest guard room. I'll send word and have them escort you to your room and check over you. Don't forget to care for yourself, clumsy or not each citizen in this castle is precious to me and I don't like seeing you hide your pain." Star meant down and gave her a hug before sending her on her way. She walked back to her room and collapsed into bed.

"That was quite the show, I imagine you would capture many hearts with ease." Star turned to see Glossaryck standing beside her.

"Are you here to lecture me?" Star asked sitting up.

"The opposite actually. I came to check if you were okay. I spoke to your parents and they are worried. I watched you enjoy yourself with the boy and thought maybe their worries were unfounded but seeing you freeze out there I think they are right. I'm impressed with you Star, like with how you attend my lessons earnestly, watching you deal with the maid like you did made me proud to call you a Princess. You cared for her, helped her and saw through her facade. You are shaping up to be a real Butterfly if I ever saw one." Star smiled under his praise.

"However I must apologise to you Star."

"What why?"

"I had hoped the pace I was teaching you would be easy and comfortable for you. That I was teaching you so you'd always be prepared but after today I'm sorry to say I haven't done enough. I underestimated you. I underestimated your power, your will and your pure heart. I should have know you would rush off to save the innocent and face every challenge head on. I'm sorry Princess." Glossaryck bowed to her. No jokes, no sarcasm but a sincere apology. Star wasn't sure how to feel but felt a lump in her throat.

"And on that note I'm going to rethink my teaching plan. I will also take requests from you and help you become the Princess you were born to be, not the one shaped by me."

Star smiled again and went to speak but paused. She thought for a moment and then started to reply.

"Glossaryck I want to say thank you, for the apology and the offer but also for everything you have already taught me. With just the few lessons we have had I have learnt spells I used multiple times over the last 24 hours to survive. From healing to light I have made use of all your lessons to come back here and I couldn't have done it without you so in future I await your guidance. I want to be the best Princess I can be and for that I think maybe you should have a little control. I have been know to act recklessly after all." Glossaryck started to laugh at her response which Star joined in gleefully.

"That you have Princess, well the night is still young, do you think you'd like to finish the chapter we were on now?" Glossaryck asked raising his eyebrow.

"Sure thing little blue!" Glossaryck clicked his fingers together and the book came flying onto the bed. Star put her hair up and looked down at the book. The chapter was on demons and their weaknesses.

"Continuing on from last time, how about you start reading from the fourth paragraph."

"That's all I have to say." Marco finished speaking. Tears rolled down his cheek as he wiped them away with his sleeve. He tried to hide the sound of his emotions surfacing from the phone however.

"I understand.. Well I'll hold you to your word Marco. I hope in the future we can both be right and see the light. For now farewell Mr. Diaz, if you need me feel free to call. I owe you after all."

"Thank you Hope, Speak soon."

 _Click_

Marco threw the phone onto the bed and jumped onto it. He looked up at the roof trying to get his feelings together when he felt a warm feeling on his back. He sat up and noticed a small card on his bed. On it contained only two things, one, a pair of scissors and the other a message. 'Meet Me.'

Marco sighed, he wanted nothing more than this day to end but it felt like it never would. He stood up and changed his clothes. Back to his familiar red hoodie and jeans. He cut open a portal and walked through reappearing to the sound of a worn piano and gruff voices. He walked through the bar until he found his messenger. Heckapoo sat facing the barman in conversation. He noticed Marco behind her and nodded in greeting to him. He pulled up a stool beside her and took a sip from the glass that was waiting for him.

"So H-Poo.. What do I owe the pleasure of a midnight call out?" Marco asked dryly remembering their last conversation together.

"I know what happened Marco. I followed the portal you made to Babylon. I followed you on your journey. Even to the nobles house." Heckapoo stated. She didn't turn to meet his gaze instead she downed the rest of her drink.

"So you know-"

"-Yes."

"Then we don't need to talk about it." Marco replied. His voice was emotionless and his throat remained dry no matter how much he tried to drink. He wasn't sure what alcohol she had brought him this time but it stung as he drank more.

"Oh.. But I think we should. Marco I think talking about it is exactly what we need. So I'm listening. What happened at both the bandit house and at the nobles mansion? Talk to me." Heckapoo waited for his usual dismissal. Whenever she tried to talk to him about his feelings or past he would blow her off and never talk. She waited but it never came. She looked at him and saw that he was thinking, actually considering her offer.

Marco wanted to refuse, to push her away like he always had done but now he also wanted to tell her everything. To tell someone. For someone to understand him and everything he had been through but he couldn't tell her everything. He could never do that. He could, however, tell her what had happened at those places.

"At the bandit house... We were stuck with the hostages, trapped with the only way out being a fight. The bandits would have killed half of us before we got out. With those numbers regardless of the battle prowess me and Star could show we couldn't have guaranteed all their lives." Marco started to explain.

"The easiest escape plan was the elimination of the bandits. With us both moving tactically it would have been effortless. I've always chose the easiest and most likely to succeed method but when I thought about making Star's hands bloody I couldn't allow myself to bear witness to it. I lost my cool and made her stay back. I went and slaughtered them all as quickly and ruthlessly as I could. I moved the bodies, hoping hiding them from view would ease her discomfort but I think it only made it worse. If she wasn't so strong she would have definitely broke. I shouldn't have to be relieved that she could handle it..."

"So you decided to do everything else by yourself, am I right?" Heckapoo asked. She was wary of asking questions not wanting to break his chain of honesty but needed answers. He looked at her with eyes full of regret and pain.

"You are. I didn't want her to see what came next. I went back to the bandit hideout. I cleared out the bodies of the hostages who didn't make it. I buried them away from the hideout and the village. No one will find them and they can rest in peace. I burnt the hideout after gathering all the evidence of corruption I could before deciding to move onto the nobles house.

I snuck in with little effort, for so many guards and security it was easier than trying to sneak out of your place without you noticing. I found the evidence and was planning to leave with no further action."

"But you didn't leave?" Heckapoo continued to ask.

"No.. I heard him.. That pig. He was happy the bandits were dead and even remarked he was grateful. In killing them men I'd made him happy. It sickened me but I could still leave. Then I heard his next remark, where he stated that a death I have lived regretting for years was his doing and the people in the village, the ones I even cared for were going to be victim to the same horror. I was boiling with rage and I wanted revenge. I went outside and I confronted them. They tried to fight back, to kill me.. But it was pointless. I disabled every man they sent at me, I let the noble run and hide behind his men. He faced fear and terror as a monster hunted him. All his plans, all his preparation and all his money meant nothing as I hunted him down."

"And then you left him for dead." Heckapoo added. Marco's face flushed with anger but he held back, it was only fair to assume that was would happen.

"No! I didn't kill anyone else that night. I restrained every single member of that force. I took their weapons and took away every means to defend themselves from the kings army. I didn't want anyone else to die. I freed the captives, making sure they were all stable and alive. The King's army being led by Hope will have to see a lot of horrors in their effort to get rid of corruption. I didn't want them to deal with it so soon. I didn't think of what the victims would do." Marco's head hung in disappointment. He didn't want to face it but he felt responsible, no matter what he tried at the end of the day he killed those people. He caused them to die and he once again was wrapped in darkness. Heckapoo could see guilt on his face as if it was written across his forehead. She reached across and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know Marco, I know you never intended for them to die. I know you beat up Sir Samael but death wasn't your intention. You can only imagine the horror that those people face and one day they will receive enough help that they can face what they did in guilt but you are innocent of their deaths. Marco, you can't control the world. It's an unstable mess of chaoes and confusion and everything will always go wrong. The times it goes right are the strange times and I think you are experiencing one of those moments right now. Stay with Star, she is helping you in ways I couldn't. Just don't let these deaths hold you back. You can't be responsible for everyone." Heckapoo patted his back and then stood up to leave.

"Wait.."

"Yes?" She said not turning back.

"Why.. Why did you call me here? The last time we spoke I made you angry and you said you were going to find out all my secrets. I thought we were done." Marco asked desperately.

"We are done Marco, I meant what I said and I intend to find out who you really are. But I thought you could use a friend, a shoulder.. Or even an escape. However, this is the last time. Good luck Marco." And with that she left. Leaving him speechless and conflicted inside. He turned to his drink and finished it.

"Bill please." Marco asked the bartender.

"Keep your money. The lady paid your bill for you. It's actually bottomless if you want more but I think you should call it a day. Seeing you two for all these years I think today is a good one to call it quits early." Marco looked up at the man. He had always been kind and easy to talk to. A familiar face in an ever changing life. Marco would even go as far to say he could trust him.

"I'll take your advice. Thank you." Marco waved goodbye and then cut open a new portal. He walked into the garden of the Butterfly castle and took a seat on the bench facing Star's tree.

 _"When did everything get this twisted?"_ Marco thought to himself as he closed his eyes. He felt his eyelids grow heavier as each second passed. Marco felt his body grow lighter by the second.

 _His eyes flew open as he looked at the roof. It was different from his room at the castle but familiar again. He sat up and found himself in his bedroom. His real bedroom. In the Diaz house._

 _He smiled as he looked around and let himself reminisce. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep letting the familiar smell fill his nostrils. Warmth filled his heart and he was truly happy. He opened his eyes and saw hollowed eyes staring back at him. A pale white skeleton's face was in line with his. He yelped and recoiled in shock and fear when he heard a familiar laugh._

 _"Janna?" Marco asked in shock. His heart was beating so hard he could hear it. He held his hand to his chest as a means to calm himself._

 _"The one and only! You should have seen your face!" She said laughing._

 _"Why do you always do that! And take that off!" Marco replied annoyed._

 _"Someone has to keep you on your toes.. And you know full well I can't take it off, not anymore." She replied in glee._

 _"…"_

 _"Ahh don't go quiet on me now I didn't mean to upset you. I'm here to see if you are doing okay and to talk to you." She said with a smile._

 _"Well I don't want to talk to you!" Marco stood up and walked towards the door. He turned the handle and tried to leave but found the door locked. His parents had always allowed him his privacy so he reached for his key in his pocket and then facepalmed. Turning back to the skeleton masked Janna he saw her holding his key._

 _"You can't escape that easily Marco, not from me. You can't hide the skeleton in closets from me after all as you can see I am one." Janna began to laugh again causing Marco to groan. He laid on the bed and covered his ears with his pillow hoping to block her out._

 _"Oh Marco what are you doing, you can't ignore me. Ha ha. I want you to listen after all. I am here to say I'm proud of you. You didn't kill them even though it wouldn't have changed anything. You helped those people and saved the day. You even opened up to your friend. Noticing you have a lot of female friends over there Stud-co. You're growing and that's good. I want you to keep going. Think of the future and moving on, not on the past. Let it stay dead and buried. Move on. Be happy. Wish upon a star so to say. Anyway, I have to go now.. I can't stay for long. Goodbye Marco, Hope I won't be seeing you so soon." Janna became silent. Marco knew her, she wouldn't go that easily so he waited but no more came. Sitting up he realised she really had left him alone. She always betrayed his expectations as much as she possibly could._

 _Marco was alone again, he crawled back into bed and closed his eyes._

A light breeze blew against his skin and he felt pressure on his arm. He opened his eyes to find himself back in the garden. He looked down and found Star asleep on his arm. He looked around confused and found her blue teacher sitting beside him.

"Surprise, you look like you have seen a ghost boy. If you are wondering why the Princess is sleeping on you, we came out here to get some practical training and after tiring herself out she found you. She decided to follow your example and take a break and truthfully I don't have it in me to wake two children as they rest. However, now you are awake you can do me a favor and return the Princess to her bedroom. Good night." Glossaryck immediately clicked his finger and disappeared leaving Marco with Star. He smiled down at her before picking her up gently. He proceeded to carry her to the entrance where a maid was waiting for him. She helped him get her back to her room and then Marco headed to bed. Hoping for a dreamless night.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Mother's Love

Legacy Of Loneliness#5

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed :) We would like to say thank you for your comments and hope you enjoy the following chapter. If you have any questions please message 'the black cat' or myself and we will try to answer.**

* * *

 **A Mother's Love**

Birds flew by overhead as Marco left the castle and began his walk through the garden. Recently he had been making frequent trips to the garden in his spare time. After the Babylon incident he and Star had been on a pseudo-house arrest where they stayed close by to ease Queen Moon's worrying. Star had started really concentrating on her magic lessons with Glossaryck meaning Marco now had more free time. He had promised Star not to go on an adventure without her so was keeping himself occupied inside the Kingdom's grounds.

So far Marco had been volunteering in the village repairing things. Unknown to Star, Marco was pretty handy in every department so was helping the townsfolk. Some days he'd repair toys and furniture, others he'd repair holes in roofs or fences. Thanks to this Marco reputation had grown again with all the townsfolk being grateful for his presence. Not just because of his repair work but because since he'd arrived the amount of damage Star had cause had become non-existent.

Sometimes he would train with the knights. Marco wasn't really sure why but they seemed more willing to let him train with them and had even been allowed to join the training of the knights squires. They were a strange bunch but one of them, a girl named Higgs, was close to his age so he found a rival to spar with.

When he wasn't helping the townsfolk or training to fight he let himself enjoy a guilty pleasure he had, gardening. He used the skills he had gained from gathering herbs and specific plants to start growing his own little garden. If he didn't have to venture to 3 different dimensions to restock one of his serums then it would make his life easier. So he had found a small part of the garden not being used and began there. When he was working on it one day he noticed a nearby flower bed was lacking attention. It struck him as a little weird considering this place had a whole gardening team. He tended to the flowers and watered them, making sure to remove dead leaves and check the soil to see if the acidity level was right for the plants.

However, on today's trip to the garden, as Marco was knelt down watering the flowers he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't recognise them so tightened his hands around the spade and prepared himself when the voice spoke.

"So its you I have to thank for looking after my flowers? They've been looking healthier lately too."

"Ermm yeah I guess, I was just working nearby and noticed them looking a bit off colour. I tended to them a little and realised these flowers grow better in more acidic soil. I sectioned off the soil and then changed the acidity and they've regained all their colour now." Marco replied. He turned to see who it was but they had now knelt beside him and had a large hat that covered their face. He could tell it was a female but not sure who.

" I see, I'd never really taken that into account but now you say it, It all makes sense. I was surprised when I saw someone had tended to them and started their own garden." The lady started. She leant forward and felt the petals on the flowers.

"Sorry if I over stepped my bounds I just really enjoy gardening, it was something I use to do with my mother when I was younger." Marco replied smiling.

"What is she like? Your mother I mean?" Asked the lady. Marco paused, hesitant to answer, but looked down at the flowers and knew what to say.

"She was like the sun, shinning so bright that it just made you smile. Everything about her was special from the way she would laugh to how she use to ruffle my hair when she was proud of me. She use to sing me to sleep, hold me when I cried and support me in everything I tried to do. I was never afraid with her there, I could do anything because she believed in me and, if I happened to fail, she would be ready with a cup of cocoa and soothing words that made all the bad go away… she was like the light in the world.." Marco gazed beyond the flowers. Looking at something that was no longer there.

"Your mother sounds amazing… but why have you been talking in the past tense if you don't mind me asking?" The lady quizzed again. Marco felt like she knew just what to ask to unsettle him. He wanted to say nothing, to make an excuse to leave it at that but the feeling the lady gave off was not unlike that of his own mother. He felt… something between them. Marco also remembered his promise with Star to be more open.

"…She passed away years ago… all I have left of her is the memories she left behind and the red hoodie I wear. It's not the one she made me.. That was lost long ago but it reminds me of her. Of how much she meant to me.."

"That must have been hard for you and your father..?"

"…he.. He passed away in the same.. Accident.. But yes it has been hard.. I've tried my best to never betray their expectations and tried to live the way they wanted me to.. It's been hard.. I just have to survive.. As long as I live they live within me.. I will never let myself fall because if I do then I will have betrayed them.. Betrayed them all. I have to.. To.." As Marco was speaking there was a loud explosion from Glossaryck's tower. Star was having a lesson there and it was clear something had gone wrong when a magical griffin burst from the pink sparkly smoke and flew into the sky. Marco squinted and realised there was a blonde person holding on for dear life. He sighed deeply before turning to the lady with the hat.

"I'm sorry, it's been.. Nice talking to you.. I've never really spoke to anyone about this.. So thank but I got to go now.. Princess trouble." Marco bowed to the person and went to leave before pausing.

"Also I've already watered and laid down some nutrients for the plants today, if you still wanted to do something id recommend pruning the smaller leaves, it'll let the big ones grow more." And with that Marco pulled from his bag a grapple hook and went soaring across the castle. The lady watched him as he quickly caught up to the griffin. He jumped from a tower, knocked it unconscious and grabbed Star before leaping back and grappling the tower. You could hear the Princess' Jungle call throughout the kingdom as they swung to safety.

Queen Moon removed her hat and proceeded to wipe away her tears. She knew his pain, the pain of losing your parents too early. Of watching their light be extinguished and carry the weight of their legacies. It answered several of her questions however. She had managed to find out that he was an orphan who had been alone for a long time and that he wore the red hooded jacket. With this she would be able to narrow down the search in finding out who he really was.

Moon stood up to leave before looking at the flowers, she knelt down beside them and stroked the petals. She could feel how much life was inside them and how much care he had given them.

"How can someone who could treat something so fragile so delicately swing a sword as ruthlessly as he does? Someone who can speak of someone that passionately.. End someone's life without remorse.." Moon dried her tears completely. Before finding out who he was.. Was for the Kingdom and for Star but now she herself wanted to know. Who is Marco Diaz? And what is he hiding?

* * *

 **/**

Marco looked on slightly confused as Star and Glossaryck were trying to somehow force the griffin into her wand. He wasn't sure of the exact science of it but it seemed like summoned things would return to the wand. Star's powers were limitless however she had to tap into that power. For each new wall she overcame she could summon new spells or creatures. These creatures, once created, then continued to exist powered into existence by Star. She became a battery or life support to them and in return they would answer her call. A mutually beneficial relationship is what Marco considered it to be, however like all relationships things sometimes got complicated. This griffin was actually more advanced than they intended causing it to reject Star. He saw that it had started to be swallowed by the wand and Star celebrated.

"Thanks Glossaryck! Now with this I have something more powerful. Cloudy is great but doesn't really think so having a spell that can understand me and follow orders independently means so much."

"No thanks necessary Princess, the credit all goes to you and maybe Mr Diaz for knocking out the beast. I'll be honest I was surprised to see him fly into the sky and punch it down."

"I know right! He can be so cool! Like I was planning something like to hold its wings and crash land it but he just pops up, knocks it down over an empty street and swings us through the kingdom. Which was fun!" Star remarked. Marco pretended he couldn't hear and suddenly froze. He looked back at the Griffin and was sure it had moved. He studied its face and saw its eye open and lock onto Star. He immediately moved.

"And then he just acts like its nothing! I mean if I had done that I'd-" Star paused feeling the harmful intent behind her. She turned to face it when one of the Griffins giant wings came flying towards her. She tried to move out the way but it was all too quick when a deafening crunching sound filled the area. She looked down to see Marco in front of her. He had taken the full brunt of the attack and the sound was his arm breaking. He stood up and moved to dodge its next attack. Star started to fire ice beams at the Griffins feet so it slipped and fell. She moved to attack when something held her in mid air. She looked at Glossaryck who was casting the spell as he watched Marco dodge the Griffins claws. He used the ice to slid underneath it, wrapped his grapple guns strap around its leg and fired it at a tree. The griffin flipped upside down as it was dragged into the air. Once it was stuck Marco ran up the wall, back flipped and span around kicking it unconscious once more. He dropped to the ground, staggering at the pain slightly. Star, now free of Glossaryck's magic quickly concentrated and absorbed the Griffin into her wand before rushing to Marco's side.

"Are you okay!? I'm so sorry!?" She fussed. Star shot Glossaryck a confused gaze as to why he intervened when Marco needed help but chose concentrate on Marco.

"Honestly.. It's fine.. I just need a stint and some stuff in my room. I'll be fine." Marco said trying to stand up. The pain from movement caused him to wince and stumble. Star's brow furrowed as she looked on. She pointed her wand at his feet and froze him in the spot.

"Listen here Mr. I am a magical Princess who caused this accident and I will fix it. Wait right there and I'll get the spell book!" She exclaimed. Marco immediately was terrified. He had no idea what her magic would do to him and wanted to escape but her ice was extremely hard.

"Star, listen.. This is a bad idea, let me just go to my room and get my stuff.. It'll all be okay?"

"Nahh trust me! I've been working on my magic, this is totally in my comfort zone! Look already found the spell!" She stated confidently. Marco looked on surprised.

"…Okay.. I'll trust you.."

"Great. Let me see here… Hmm. It's in an ancient language. Releasio Demonius Infestica!" Star said pointing her wand at Marcos arm. The magic begins to coil around him before disappearing into his arm.

"Hey I think it might have worked? My arms feels all tingly." Marco looked down at his arm and his eyes widened as it began to grow longer and turn blue. He watched as his arm became a long blue tentacle.

"SSSTTTTAAARRRRRR!" Marco screamed.

"Don't worry! There must be a spell to change it back! I will fix this!" Star said as she started to look through the book. She all of a sudden jumped back and the two looked at the monster arm. It had tried to throw the book away.

"Did it just go for the book?" Marco asked nervously.

"I think so… it seems to know that it's the key to getting rid of it… is it self aware?" Star asked back. She paused before turning to Glossaryck who stood watching.

"Sorry to ask.. But do you know what spell I should use to fix this?" Glossaryck smiled as she asked. Knowing when to ask for help was an important skill. If she hasn't she could have been kept awake for days trying to find it.

"Of course Star, it's right here. Also when you cast it, do not put in all your power, keep it around 10% if you can otherwise you will do more damage than good." He flipped the book open to a page on healing spells. It was further in than Star was ready to deal with but she had to fix what she had done.

"Okay.. I think I got it..?" Star told them, her voice clearly lacking in confidence. Marco looked down at his arm and back to her and figured it couldn't get much worse and would let her try.

"I trust you Star, do you best!" Marco said trying to give her courage. She smiled meekly and then prepared to cast the spell.

"Returnio... Armius... Normalrino…" Star chants out loud. Everyone looked at the wand as it let out a little puff of smoke and then went dead.

"…I don't think it worked." Marco stated, cutting across the silence. Star looked at the wand confused and then face palmed herself.

"I used an ancient spell, it drained the wands magic battery. I'll need to charge it before I can use it again.." Star explained while looking guilty.

"So you just need to charge it? Then what's the hold up?"

"I lost the charger a while ago.. I do have a spare battery thats good for a single charge but I'll have to find it.. that or we'd need to go to Quest Buy to get another one." At the mention of the twisted store Marco shuddered. He had been there before and not one moment of it was a good experience.

"But I have an idea! I don't really want to.. As I'm sure she'll be mad.. But I'm sure my mum might be able to fix this.. If we ask her too.. I'll look for the battery in the meantime and then we can go get the charger after." Star suggested. Her voice was quiet as if saying the words alone might alert her mother to her mistake.

"Hmm.. It's worth a try." Marco agreed. He wasn't keen on spending time with the King or Queen after the last incident. With River he found the welcoming, caring nature to be strange and he knew Moon wanted nothing more than to question him on his whole life. He couldn't allow that.

The pair said their farewells to Glossaryck who agreed that seeking the council of the Queen was a wise decision. He did say he could probably have fixed it himself but it would have been boring that way. They walked round the castle looking for the Queen. The stares and glares from the castle workers and knights did little to reassure Marco of his situation. Thankfully most had assumed that it was the Princess' fault and that he would be fine since he was so capable. If not for his already flawless reputation in the castle he may have been attacked by the Knights or yelled at for the trail of slime the monster arm left behind.

Eventually Star had an epiphany about where her mother could be.

"I got it! She's probably still out in the garden!" Star exclaimed rushing down the stairs.

"The garden?" Marco repeated. He suddenly had a bad feeling he couldn't quite explain. Rushing after her the pair left the castle and headed out into the garden.

"So this part of here is the general garden, it's maintained by the grounds staff however this section over here is the royal section. Only those of royal blood may use this part of the garden and Mum has been growing flowers here for ages." Star explained as they walked around. Marco suddenly swallowed hard realising he had started his gardening in the royal section.

"So… what would happen if someone did try to grow stuff and they weren't royalty..?"

" I don't really know.. No one has been foolish enough to try it although there was one person who once trod on my mothers flower bed and truth be told I never saw them again.." Star answered with a frown. This was actually a lie, unknown to Marco, Star had gotten permission for his gardening before he started… she just never got round to telling him and now realised he was worried about it she couldn't help but feel like teasing him.

In front of them they found the lady with the large hat tending to some flowers. Marco's bad feeling heightened as Star bundled over to her.

"Hey Mum!" She said gleefully causing Marco to scream internally as he watched Queen Moon lift of her hat and smile at them.

"Hello Star, Hello again Marco.. Did you manage to solve the Griffin problem?" Moon asked with a smile directed at Marco. He froze trying to remember how much he had told her.

"Aboouuut that.." Star started to say. She explained what had happened with Marco stopping the Griffin and her attempt to suck it back into the wand. The griffin breaking Marco's arm and Star's 'help'. Moon looked at the monster arm with a hint of amusement on her face.

"So you came to me to ask if I could fix it? And you didn't recklessly go to Quest Buy alone and waited for a companion for the trip?" Moon asked Star surprised.

"Yes Mum, I didn't want to cause Marco more trouble and with Ludo attacking me out of no where I don't think going to Quest Buy in a state where neither of us are at full strength was a good idea.. Was that not right?" Star questioned sincerely.

"Star, that was absolutely the right thing to do! You are showing maturity in both your actions and the way you think.. I'm proud of you!" Moon patted Star on the head making her squeal with joy.

"Anyway I'll take care of this Star, if you head back and finish your lesson with Glossaryck we should be right as rain by tea time."

"Sure thing Mum! Alright bye Marco, catch you later!" Star quickly summoned Cloudy, who had already been flying around before the wand lost power, and flew back to Glossaryck's tower before Marco could even refute the situation. Moon turned to Marco and carried on smiling.

"So do you have anything to say to me young man?" Moon offered. Marco quickly bowed his head towards her.

"Yes my Queen, I apologise greatly for using the Royal Garden! I was not informed of it being off limits and have shamelessly desecrated a space important to you.." Marco hoped she would forgive him when he heard her laughing.

"Star never told you? She asked for permission for you to use that area ages ago. In truth I was rather hoping she would join me in my hobby but it's nice the area is not going to waste." Moon carried on chuckling. She stood up and indicated for Marco to follow her.

"Wait.. Then what did you mean before?" Marco asked confused.

"Well.. I thought you might be mad at me for deceiving you earlier today. I was expecting a few choice words from you.." She admitted. She showed him into her study as she began to pull books from the shelf.

"…No.. I mean I was a bit shocked to find out it was you I was talking to but I don't regret it. Talking about my mother after all this time.. It was nice." Marco admitted.

"A shame I suppose, part of me wanted to see your battle prowess for myself and hoped you'd be inclined to show the same ruthlessness you showed those bandits." Marco felt part of heart grow cold as she brought up the previous adventure.

"Now don't get me wrong Mr. Diaz, while I am grateful for how you protected Star, shielded her from the worst of your behaviour and helped her establish herself I am also furious that you let her get into that situation in the first place. River has convinced me that not all the fault lies with you, given that you were only at that party at Star's request however it has revealed a lot to me.." Moon sat in front of him and began looking through books.

"I was convinced more so of River's point today, with you opening up about your mother, how you cared for the plants and how you jumped in the way of Star to protect her. You can be ruthless when necessary but also a remarkably good person.. Two sides to one coin.. If you were a Knight of the Kingdom you'd be a perfect addition to our forces except you are not, you're a free spirit, someone only here because they have a reason to be. So I want to appeal to the side of you who told me about how bright your mother shined.." Moon looked up at Marco. He stared back at her not leaving her gaze.

"What is it you want from me?"

"I want to know who you are.. Who exactly is Marco Diaz? I know some things but I can't say its anything concrete or revealing.. So will you tell me Marco?" Moon waited for a response and after a few minutes of silence believed she wasn't getting one when Marco replied.

"I can't tell you who I am, I don't think there will come a time that I ever could and if there was.. It would be the end of life as we know it.. But I can promise you that I am no threat to you, your kingdom and least of all Star. I would give anything to protect her.. I promised you I would stand by her and guide her, let her see the error in her ways and overcome them and I will always keep that promise.." Moon looked into his eyes as she realised for the first time that he was scared. It hit her all of a sudden that why wouldn't he be. He was a boy who lost his parents and lived life running from something or someone.. And now he was being questioned by the Queen of a Kingdom, the ruler who stood above all else, anyone would be scared.

"We could protect you.." Moon whispered to him. Marco felt his heart grow heavy as he considered these four words but knew he couldn't trust them.

"That isn't the first time I've heard that line.."

"It isn't a 'line' it's a promise.. An oath Marco."

"Queen Moon.. What exactly do you know about me?" Marco out of the blue.

"Well Marco Diaz, We know you are not Mewman, although this seems impossible as I have not encountered any races as like our own meaning you are something special or there's a reason we haven't. You have been to that village in Babylon twice, the first time you arrived from a dimension where slavery is legal and you were a slave. We managed to trace it back to the dimension but the only slave camp we could pin point as your origin was destroyed in a riot the day you disappeared. All traces of you are gone wiping the slate clean. Moving forward in time it is clear you know our dear Heckapoo of the Magical High Commission. At first I thought River was joking when he stated he had seen your scissors but given your recent adventure I know it's true. Now, here's where I get confused, you see during the meeting about you, she never mentioned it. Never. Still to this day she has never admitted to a link between you to. Odd, to think she would betray her organisation and Queen.. For you. Now that leads me to believe you are important to her and after we are done here I will confront her. I don't like secrets Marco. Everything else is just circumstantial, for instance, we know you don't use magic but can't ascertain what it is you do use. To equal our kingdoms treasured wand with something unknown to us seems like quite the threat don't you think.. Well a few minor points but that's where I'm at right now. How did I do?" Moon finished, raising her eyebrow to Marco. He sighed and relaxed a little.

"Queen Moon-"

"Please call me Moon, it gets rather tiring sometimes with the formalities." She interjected.

"Moon, everything you have said is indeed correct. I cannot explain how I am not Mewman and I wish you would not continue to probe that particular area. However, I will explain the rest.

Yes, I was taken into slavery, sold by one of those people who promised to protect me. I spend a considerable time being tortured, treated like dirt and when the time came I escaped. The people in Babylon saved me.. In more ways than one and I will always be grateful to them.

In regards to Heckapoo please do not punish her.. I will say she doesn't know much more than you do and as we speak she is probably working harder to uncover who I am as I did rather tick her off. You see for a while.. Quite a while.. We lived together and I helped her as an assistant.. But then I left, as I always do, I cannot say why and she doesn't know either.. Just please don't punish her because of me..

Finally.. What I use is no threat to you, only I am able to use it and I will not share its power with anyone. I promised already but I will bring no harm to this Kingdom." Marco let her look into his eyes as he explained. She could detect no hint of a lie but at the same time felt like he hadn't really told her anything at all. Moon looked at him and knew that pushing the matter would be no good.

"Okay Marco, I won't push any further however I will not stop, please do not resent me for that but I need to know who you are. Anyway how about we get started on this arm of yours." Marco nodded, he felt the arm begin to stir at the mention of its name. Marco felt pressure from the Queen unlike he was use to. He knew she would investigate him, even before Heckapoo told him so. He just wasn't prepared for how hard it would be to keep stuff from her. Sometimes looking in her eyes he was reminded of Star. They had the same shine to them and yet he also found himself being reminded of his own mother, something he never thought he'd feel again rose in him. A sense of duty as a son to be honest and open yet that was the last thing he needed.

"Hmm it seems Star had the right logic when she was trying to heal your broken arm. The spell she used can be part of a two step process to heal but it's a risky one. The first step involves allowing a vile creature to possess your arm. It's like a parasite. If the host of it is damaged it repairs it to strengthen itself. The next step would have returned your arm to normal but now with no damaged and in peak condition." Moon explained as she investigated the arm.

"So wait.. Star was right? She knew what she was doing?" Marco asked surprised. Moon chuckled at his shock.

"Not exactly, since this technique carries risks it was separated in the book, made to appear as two incomplete spells that have to be mastered separately as to not let someone who isn't capable attempt the process. I'm sure Star ignored the warning completely however the fact she found both spells and put them together shows that she has grown as a magic user. She is starting to become aware of what she is really capable of and what the spells she uses can do. Truthfully I didn't think she would reach this level for years. I mean I love my daughter but until you showed up she had shown no intention to study magic seriously. Thank you again for that."

Marco eased up a little as Moon turned to look back at some scrolls she had on shelf beside her desk. Marco watched as the Queen read on. He started to feel a pain in his arm and looked down to see a mouth starting to form on his monster arm. It turned as if to face him, he was unable to control it anymore.

 _ **"You wish to be rid of me!?"**_ Came a growl from the arm. Marco felt his blood run cold as his body grew stiff. He found himself unable to move. His eyes grew wide as the arm grew larger and moved towards Moon. He wanted to warn her but as if an invisible hand was wrapped around his throat he could not find his voice. It reached forward quickly to attack Moon. She turned and raised a shield against it. Her quick movement amazed Marco as she started to cast her magic towards the arm. She believed in stunned when it wrapped tightly around her body. It covered her mouth with its slimy appendage sealing her power. The arm opened up another mouth to address the room.

 _ **"You see the power I have now Marco? It can be yours… just give into it and we can rule together, none would be spared as I feast on their bowels! Bawhahaha"** _The voice laughed coldly as Marco could hear the crunching of Moon's bones as it tightened its grip on her. Marco tried to raise his voice. Marco tried to yell but no sound escaped his lungs. They were prisoners. Moons eyes began to drift back into her head as she was losing consciousness. Marco dug deep and began to focus with hopes to regain his strength. He felt his fingers move on his other hand and he focused more. He grabbed loosely around his dagger and forced his fingers shut. Marco breathed in deep and prepared for the pain as he thrust his dagger deep into the monster arm. It shrieked out in pain as it was forced to let go of Moon who dropped to the floor gasping for air. The arm turned on Marco beginning to wrap its tentacle around his neck.

 _ **"So that is your decision? To die with them?".**_ The monster let go of his grip he held on Marco. He allowed him to speak.

 _ **"Talk. Why would you forsake power.. For death?"**_

Marco looked at the monster and then quickly at Moon. He could see her under the desk preparing something. He needed to buy time. The monster asked him a question, meaning it could not read his mind. He would humour it.

"Shall I tell you the last song of my home?" Marco asked. His voice strained under the pressure it held on him.

 _ **"This will reveal why you choose weakness over strength?"**_

"Yes!"

 _ **"Then sing for me. Let me hear the weakness that sways your heart!"**_

"When the world all turns to ruin,  
And all you know is lost,  
The sun no longer shines above,  
And on the ground no frost.

Cold is an illusion,  
And heat too is a lie,  
All that's left for those who stay,  
Is to end their lives and die,

In this world there is no day,  
Yet somehow still no night,  
The dark becomes your closest friend,  
As you hide away from light,

For in the light that casts the shadows,  
Lurks the thing you fear,  
The evil thief who took away,  
All that you hold dear,

For all the friends, the family,  
The people who from life have strayed,  
You can no longer hope to find,  
One who has not long decayed,

It seems just like a nightmare,  
A monster of a dream,  
But if you haven't woken yet,  
Reality it does seem,

So cast off this illusion,  
Get rid of memory,  
Forget their endless crying,  
That haunting melody,

Carry not their corpses,  
Or their wishes on your heart,  
For if in darkness you lose strength,  
Your mind will fall apart,

The world was long past ruin,  
No longer for all to see,  
Drift now deep in slumber,  
As you face the grim reality,

The end has been and happened,  
The future is no more,  
No stories carry forward,  
The end of life and lore."

Marco finished reciting the verses of his home. He thought of the past and all that came before and refused to become the thing he hated most.

 _ **"Still your choice makes no sense to me, a world of ruin is one I seek and if you will not join me then you are too weak. I do not need you Marco, another host I will find but for being my host and letting me thrive. Your end will now be kind."**_ The monster began to crush at his windpipe circling tighter and tighter. He clawed at it with his free hand but to no avail. The darkness started to set in as he felt his lungs starving for air. The burning in his chest and the pain around his neck told him he was still alive. He went to stab the monster again but the blade snapped.

 _ **"You cannot hurt me anymore Marco, the weakness was you! And now as I crush your life I free myself from that weakness."**_ The creature laughed again. Marco closed his eyes as he waited for the end. He would have liked to see Star again.. To see everyone again.

 _"Guess I'm seeing you sooner than later Janna.."_ Marco thought to himself as his life wavered at the edge of a knife. He had regrets, too many to count.. But maybe being killed by the monster he had become was a fitting end for him. He felt light begin to pierce through his eye lids and was ready for what was next.

Except he wasn't expecting a massive explosion. Marco felt his weakened body be blasted out of the chair and through the door. He slid to a halt against the wall of the hallway and looked up at the Queen standing in the doorway. He wasn't sure if it was illusions or if he had been starved of oxygen too long but it looked like she had extra arms and wings. Marco thought she looked beautiful as he felt his eyes grow heavy.

 _ **"The boy is no more! Surrender to me!"**_

"Over my dead body!" Moon yelled back.

 _ **"My pleasure!"**_ Marco's body lunged forward but was forced back as a final voice filled the hallway.

 **"Returnio... Armius... Normalrino!".** The hall fell silent.

* * *

 **/**

The sounds of people scrambling around him brought Marco back from the darkness. He tried to breath but felt pain surge through his body. His throat had been crushed by the monster. He moved his hand weakly to feel his neck when he touched something cold. He wasn't sure what it was but something was wrapped around his neck. He realised whatever it was could be the reason he was still alive and able to breath at all. He opened his eyes but the lights were too bright so closed them quickly. He lay there thinking about what had happened when he heard raised voices drawing closer.

"You should have called me the moment it happened!" Yelled one of the familiar voices.

"Watch your tone! Just because the link between you two was found doesn't mean we are ignoring the fact you lied about knowing who he is!? Why did you hide it from me!" The other voice argued back. Marco realised who was arguing and groaned internally. It was Moon and Heckapoo.

"I know what I did isn't right and it's a breach of the commissions codes but he is my friend and although we are not on the best of terms I don't want to see him die in some political game. Which is exactly what almost happened! What did you even do to him to crush his throat so bad?"

"I have explained what happened to Marco already Heckapoo! A spell gone wrong that I was trying to fix. He saved my life and his own, I'm hardly going to leave him for dead however you lied to me. Yes, he may be your friend but was I not?" Moon question back. He could hear a hint of pain in her last question.

Marco could hear them talking still but was no longer able to make out what they were saying. He felt his mind grow heavy as the consciousness he had fought to regain slipped away from him. He heard the world go silent and then he joined it.

* * *

 **/**

Marco lay exhausted. He didn't want to move anymore and wasn't even sure he could. His clothes clung to his body as sweat poured out. The heat was unbearable but being unable to even re-hydrate was what was really draining Marco's will to carry on. He rolled over in the bed to face the wall. His frail body aching as metal springs dug lightly into his skin from the time worn mattress.

In his moment of relaxation he had failed to notice the creature who snuck into the room. It's long fur dragged along the floor as it crept across the room. The soft, wet fur padded its feet as it moved silencing its movements. It raised its sharp claws high into the air above an unsuspecting Marco. It watched him for a brief moment before shaking aggressively sending water spraying all over Marco who shot up quickly.

"Dude seriously! That's really gross!" Marco grabbed a rag off the floor and began to dry himself. The large creature chuckled heavily as he watch Marco moan.

"Worry not young Marco! T'is just water, thought I'd wake you up. Best not to rest just yet after all." The furry creature continued to laugh and sat on the bed beside Marco. In better light Marco looked at his companion. As well as sharp teeth and claws the creature was sporting horns and had ruby red irises that watched him closely, rarely blinking and never losing contact.

"You didn't have to do it like that! It'll take me days to get your wet fur smell off my clothes Drake! Also who names a giant furry creature after a dragon!" Marco vented his anger a little to the older creature. Drake smiled at the young boy. He hadn't told him his true age but he'd wager the boy was only around 10. Give or take a few years but Drake marvelled at his spirit, when he had heard a child would be joining their squad he had worried that it would fear him. Especially since it appeared to be a Mewman child. Even back in Mewni Drake was discriminated against from Mewmans old and young but here was a boy who didn't see him for the claws or the jaws but as an equal. Drake respected that. He also enjoyed toying with him.

"Somehow you never cease to amaze me boy, most lose their minds in mere days yet you have been here for many months now, yet you still worry about your scent. If I told you that no one would care that you stink like a 5 year old corpse would it help?" Marco shot a dark look towards Drake and then sniffed at his body before gagging. Drake howled with laughter.

"What's more impressive is how you can keep laughing.. I haven't heard anyone else laugh in here. Apart from the crazy ones."

"Maybe, just maybe, I am one of those crazy ones. Or are they the sane ones, for letting their minds break and hide them from the reality we see before us." Marco pondered over his words. It had been a long time since he wondered if he really was the same sane person who set off years ago. Drake could see him pondering his words and rested his claw on the boys shoulder.

"Do not dwell on such talk young Marco, just treat it as the ramblings of an old fool."

"You are hardly an old fool?"

"For my race I am, I'm a grand age of 103. Even for my species it's a respectful age. I'm almost to the point I could be called an elder."

"You don't act like your old.."

"Because in reality I'm not.. My people have been known to live for countless centuries. Just, lately where I come from we have a bit of a.. People problem.. With our neighbours that carries the risk of death."

"You're at War? Are you winning? What's the fight for?"

"Young Marco you ask too many questions, children should not know War. If you ever get out of here find a library, learn all you can and never ask people questions. It shows that you lack the answer and knowledge is power. Never let others know that you lack power."

"We all lack power here.."

"That is true.. But while we may be slaves today. Tomorrow is another day.. Of mining!" Drake chuckled again at his own joke. Marco looked down at his body. His frail and malnourished form, wrapped in bruises and a poor attempt at clothing he managed to scrap from spare rags. He scratched at the shackles that dug into his wrists and neck. He had been struggling to keep moving for a while and chose to stay at the same place for a little while longer than he usually would and was betrayed.

Noises came from the front of the tent as two more people walked in. One was a reptilian boy not much older than Marco, his dark green scales were chipped and covered in dirt. He smirked at Marco realising he must have had to listen to another of the furry dragons jokes. His yellow eyes scanned the room before sitting on his own bunk.

The other was a man of living metal. Marco had thought he was a robot but it seemed to be that they were a species of sentient metal. They could change their form and lived to find purer metal to add to themselves. Scrapped of his finest metal, Al had seen finer days. Now he appeared like a metal skeleton, he had lost his jaw in a cave in a few weeks ago and without resources to replace it he was rendered mute.

"Wonderful, we are all here. What news does the lower level bring?" Drake addresses the newcomers. Al looked up and started to sign to the group. Marco had been learning languages from Drake so understood the most part.

"So they all agree to assist in the escape, it must be due to them seeing your skill my boy. So it is all in place. Tomorrow is the day slavery ends for us and we riot for our freedom!" Drake said in a more hushed voice than normal. Marco wondered if it was more he was telling himself than them.

"Exactly, now all we need is for fleshy here to keep his part in the plan!" The reptile boy snarled. Marco easily rose to his bait.

"Don't worry I will but I won't be surprised is some coward excuse for a lizard forgets his part!" Marco spat back. Before the fight had a chance to escalate Drake knocked them both on the head.

"Marco, Komodo, fighting between yourselves will not aid our cause, cease this, save that spirit for the morrow." Both boys gave each other a dirty look before nodding to their elder.

Beside them Al's eyes started to light up.

"Alloy what is it?" Marco asked concerned. Marco watched as he signed two words to him. 'Warden' and 'Danger'.

"The warden again? What exactly do you have that he wants so bad?" Komodo asked. Before he even got an answer the group fell silent.

"DOWN ON THE GROUND! NOW!" Drake, Komodo and Al all dropped to the ground with their faces to the ground. Like always, Marco wrapped a rag around his hand and stood firm.

The first of the slavers entered the tent and began counting the slaves. He was new and didn't know why he was sent first but soon he would. Marco appeared from the shadow and punched him in the throat. As he gasped for air Marco wrapped the rag around his throat and started choking him. Suddenly Marco fell to the floor as electricity filled his body. He heard cracking sounds as the erratic movements of his body strained his frail physique. In that moment he used all his remaining strength to reach out to Alloy.

The Warden of the slave camp walked in holding his shocker tight. He, himself, was a victim of the boys aggressive nature and wouldn't allow himself to be brought to his knees by scum ever again. He walked over the slaver still gasping for air and kicked Marco in the stomach. He started to cough as the warden kicked him again and again until blood formed. He then drove his shocker into Marco's flesh. The smell of burning skin filled the tent as Marco screamed in agony. Drake shook with rage as he listened to the boy screaming.

"Enough.. Drag him along and someone pick up the new guy already." The warden left as his men followed the orders. One grabbed Marco by his feet and dragged him out leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Once they had all left the other slaves rose up.

"Did it work Alloy?" Drake asked no longer in a cheerful voice. The metal man nodded as he held up his hands showing electricity coursing through them.

"Perfect. With this we can disable the guards and break into the storage room. I just hope tonight is not the night they break the boy." Drake returned to his bed and fell deep into sleep. Alloy sat down and followed suit. Komodo couldn't help but stare at the blood on the ground. How could someone put themselves through that was what he wondered. Realising he needed sleep more than ever he returned to his bunk.

Several hours past, well into the night when all 3 were woken up with a loud crash. It was a familiar scene. Alloy rushed to grab a bucket of water while Komodo grabbed all the rags and anything else of use. Meanwhile Drake went to the entrance of the tent and there he found young Marco. The boys clothes were in tatters and more red than the dirt colour they had been before. He lifted the boy softly in his arms and lay him on the bed. They removed his clothes and all winced at the wounds. Each time they were worse. Deep gashes littered his backs as new wounds and old ones not healed bled out. Komodo wiped off all the blood he could as Drake washed his wounds. They noticed that he was bleeding from his feet as well, he had burn marks and wounds from where he had been stabbed with a hot poker. It seemed their torture was getting worse by the day. Drake looked to his face and cleaned all the blood off. It was then he realised Marco was still awake. He thought it was old the boy hadn't screamed this whole time and looked closer. He stared closer at Marco's face and saw that the boy held his mouth shut. He was remaining silent through the pain, enduring it and after he knew the others were done cleaning him up he leant over the bed and began to cough up blood.

"If we do not escape tomorrow, I'm afraid it may be your last Marco. Sleep if you can, whatever strength you can muster will be needed tomorrow. You two sleep too, I'll watch over him." Drake spoke to the group. Alloy and Komodo returned to their bunks but neither slept.

Drake watched as Marco grimaced in pain and tried to ease his suffering with company.

"Have I ever told you how I ended up in here?" Drake asked. Marco turned his head to face him but offered no words.

"Well as you know I am a linguist, a speaker of many languages. I was hired by this merchant to help him translate. You see I speak most languages spoken and when words weren't enough my scary looks helped. I needed the money to support my wife and kids. It was going great but people get greedy. The merchant tried to get a deal that would have led to great profit but he failed. Now in debt and under the thumb of the sort of people who you don't dare mess with he made all sort of desperate deals. One such deal was to either tell them the location of my home and family, they could attack and enslave my people or I could choose to be their slave and clear his debt. Of course I protected my family. I also made sure he would speak nothing of my home. I snapped the snakes neck and here I am. A slave." Marco listened attentively through the pain. He was grateful to Drake for the support he had given him and for teaching him. Although many spoke a universal language throughout the multiverse some did not and having the ability to speak greatly increased his chances of survival.

"I was taken when the bandits attacked the swamp lands.." Komodo spoke from his bed.

"I had always been told not to stray from the nest but I wanted to prove myself. Inside the swamp there is a mushroom famed for its taste and for its worth. I thought if I could find it my clansmen would respect me. I'm the son of a lower class woman. With no father to call my own I was considered a rotten egg. Worthless. So I ventured out and searched the swamp and marshlands… and I found it. I found it. I rushed back to show my clan when I found a wounded man. I was taught not to trust strangers but I couldn't leave him there. I brought him and the mushroom home. The clan welcomed me and praised me for my efforts. I tended to the man and then he left well.

I thought that was it. I had earned my first recognition and would have a bright future. But.. The man I saved. He was a bandit. He led his people back to my land and assaulted us. They wanted treasure and spoils but we had none to give. Where they favoured gold and diamond we valued pride and honour. They killed everyone but he said that I had earned a special reward. I was sold here as a slave, my reward for saving his life." Komodo fell silent as he finished his story. Before they could speak they heard a tapping sound from Al, sign language wouldn't work in the dark so he was using something akin to Morse code.

"Me. Great fighter for people. Champion of kind. Followed the kings order. We slay great beast. Feeds on ore and metal men. King feared my power. Framed. Found Guilty. Was stripped of metal. Left for dead. Slaver. Found. Here. Now." Was the loose translation Marco heard. He felt a similarity in his story and Alloy's.

He sat up ignoring the pain and spat the blood from his mouth.

"My story is a bit like Al's.." He managed to say.

"I move around a lot, cannot trust anyone. I have an enemy.. If they ever found me I would be dead. I always keep moving or I did. I found this village where they were being attacked by dire wolves. I helped to kill the wolves and saved them. They welcomed me with open arms and for a while I felt safe and happy.

But after the wolves something else came. I'm not sure what it was.. But I had to use something that I shouldn't to kill it. Aware now of the power I held I should have left but I believed I could trust in my new friends. I was wrong. I was drugged and bound. They called the slavers and showed them the monsters I had slayed. Telling them I hid strange weapons or powers. 3 gold coins.. I was only worth 3 gold coin to them.. I could have given them 300 easily.. But betrayal is like second nature to some. Now I get torture daily so they can find the way to open my bag and find my secrets." Marco finished and silenced ensued. Each had their pasts and their paths all led them to this point. But that would change tomorrow.

* * *

 **/**

Drake supported Marco as they reached down the mine, or for better phrase, the pit. Around them were large walls with a guards tower looking down on them. From there they could send a shock to whatever slave they liked. No one could act without being shocked. However, the group had found out weakness. The closer you got the lower the accuracy and that it could only target one at a time. Their other problem was the guards around them however for every guard there was 5-6 prisoners of differing physique and strength.

Both of them looked up at the clock. It was one minute to noon.

"Are you ready?" Drake whispered to Marco.

"As I'll ever be.. Go.. I'll see you up there." Drake nodded and left him. He almost fell down when Komodo caught him.

"Now don't be ruining this plan by fainting on me. You promised me freedom to avenge my clan and I expect you to keep it.." Komodo tried to sound tough but Marco could hear how nervous he was.

"Don't worry.. We'll escape.. Then you can use the skills we all taught you to kill those bandits. However like I said.. Don't go at it alone.. You'll need help."

"Didn't you say that you always go at it alone?"

"Yes.. Because I'm better than you.. You'll need the help" Marco laughed as Komodo hissed at him. They both laughed as the clock struck noon. Around them all the slaves stopped. They tightened their grips on their pickaxes and charged at the guards. Some managed to shock the slaves but were overwhelmed by numbers. Their bodies fell bloody to the ground as the slaves started to smash down the gates. Shocks started to rain the sky shocking the slaves.

Alloy got high and lifted his hand. When the next shock went out it changed path and went to Al. It started to form a giant ball of energy in his hand. The slavers reinforcements arrived and started attacking the slaves. They tried to attack Alloy buy the slaves defended him. It was all out war.

"Let's go." Komodo lifted Marco up and carried him to the guards tower. There he cupped his hands together and braced himself.

"You ready?" Marco nodded back. He ran forward and jumped. Placing his foot in Komodo's hands he was flung into the air. Half way up the wall Drake had dug his claw into the wall and waited. He grabbed Marco and flung him higher.

"Go my boy!"

Marco felt the wind rush against his skin as he rose higher. Once he was over the tower it was the final step. One of the slaves could fly and was waiting for him. He landed delicately on his back and spotted the vent he was looking for. He breathed in deep. If he failed here all their efforts would be in vain. He dove from the other slave and flipped. He quickly straightened himself out and went down the vent. He burst into the control room and quickly regained himself. He side chopped one guard in the throat and kicked him in the crotch. The other he tripped up and rushed to the console. There wasn't much he understood about this but he found the button he wanted. To release the collar around their necks. It limited their power and sealed some peoples abilities. Marco smashed the button down and felt as the collar around his neck came off. Outside he could hear growls and cheers of joy. He could hear the sounds of explosions and screams too as the slaves began to use their power to take down the guards.

Marco turned in time to see the guard he tripped wrap his hands around his neck and knee him in the stomach. Marco tried to break free but was too weak. He thought this might be his end when the mans grip loosened. His eyes rolled back and he let go. Marco watched as a set of claws teared him in two.

"Are you okay young Marco?" Drake asked concerned.

"I am now.." Marco nodded.

"Good. Now we must make haste." Drake picked Marco up and put him on his back. Marco held tightly to the fur as Drake burst down the door. He ran through the building knocking down any guards who tried to stop him. There was a loud explosion and more slaves poured in joining their fight. Jolts of electricity rendered most guards defeated as Alloy rushed into them. Komodo followed behind, He was carrying some of the smaller slaves who couldn't fend for themselves.

The group charged through the slave owners guards slaughtering them all as they went. Some slaves splintered off when they found exits to escape as fast as they could. The rest followed Drake as they arrived at the storage room. When one tried to enter he was blasted back by a protective spell. Alloy stepped forward playing his metallic hands on the barrier. He then let loose all the electric he had conducted into it shattering it with ease. They entered with haste reuniting with weapons or possessions. The most vital thing to find however was Marco's bag. Once he had it he grabbed out two things. One was a pair of stolen dimensional scissors he had stolen from someone in the past and the other was a bomb he planted the bomb and set the timer. He opened a series of portals to many dimensions. The slaves rushed through desperate to return home. However, Marco's tent mates and several others stayed.

"What are you waiting for? Go?" Marco questioned.

"I just wanted to say, and I believe I speak for all those who remain here, that we are grateful and will eternally be so. I cannot say how much your aid has meant to me, if not for you I may have died here but instead I return home to my family. Thank you Marco. Whatever path you now walk I want you to know if there comes a time when you need my aid, any of our aid, put out the call and we will fight. We will fight for Marco Diaz." With that Drake nodded to Marco and disappeared into his portal. Marco closed it behind him and one by one each slave thanked him and disappeared. Alloy hugged him tight which Marco was sure would leave bruises and Komodo punched him lightly on the arm before leaving. Finally it was just Marco and one more slave.

"Alright go, I'll close the gate behind you."

"But it's the last portal? Where are you going?" The man asked him confused.

"I don't know.. Just go."

"Come with me. It's not much but you can rest and recover." The man smiled. Marco wanted to refuse but months of slavery and torture left him pretty exhausted. He needed the help and he trusted his follow slaves.

"Okay let's go!" Marco barley finished his sentence to the man when an arrow flew out and pierced him in the chest. Marco dropped the scissors and rushed to his side.

"I knew it would be you." Marco looked up to see the Warden and his close guard beside them.

"I knew it. I was right all along. Sure we lost all the slaves we had and we have to abandon this camp but with just you alone I can set us up for life. My little golden goose." The warden smiled creepily as he stroked his whip.

"You know nothing.. Nothing of me!" Marco spat back.

"No?" The Warden laughed cruelly.

"No that may have been true but you confirmed it today. You see I tested your blood Marco Diaz. I know you're not Mewman, you're not Babylonian or any other Kingdom or Dimension known. Yet you look just like them but then I thought.. I had heard rumours about another dimension.. A magic-less one never travelled. I remember hearing how it disappeared from all knowledge, it is the lost dimension."

"So what? You think I'm from some kind of fairy tale dimension that only exists in the rumours of drunks or madmen?" Marco snarled at him.

"I didn't, not at first. As you said I assumed it was a rumour. No one travelled there anyway so what if it is missing, maybe it never existed but then something marvellous happened. I heard a new story.. One of an Empire.. A destroyer of dimensions and a force unrivalled being driven to almost extinction.. I heard a tale of how they disappeared and the ones who came back don't speak of what happened. Only.. They are searching for something.. Someone.. Someone responsible for ruining everything for them. Now I knew you were strong for a boy your age when you held out so long. What secrets could you be protecting.. I wonder.. Then your unknown blood and the bag that only you can open.. You were certainly more than meets the eye I was sure of it. Today confirmed it for me when you led this escape of yours. For decades no one had escaped from here yet within months while being tortured daily you find the way out. You, my little pet, are what the Empire seek. I'm sure of it. You are going nowhere." The warden whipped at Marco and the wounded man. He caught the whip and stared him down.

"You know nothing!" Marco yelled as he looked at the bomb. 5 seconds left.

"Get him." Two men rushed forward to grab Marco as the bomb went off. Marco felt the ground leave him as he held tightly to the slave. Together they were blasted through the portal and landed in the woods. Marco checked on the man and realised he was dead. He looked up and noticed the portal close, but not before one of the guards fell through. He crashed to the ground and began to roll to put out the fire. Marco picked up the whip he had dropped and tied it around his neck, he quickly threw the other side over a branch and used all his strength to pull. The guard was lifted off the ground clawing at the whip as his life was choked out of him. Marco waited until he was sure it was over and pulled tight. A loud snap echoed through the wood as Marco let the man fall to the ground.

He tucked his bag under his rags and begins to walk through the forest. With no knowledge of where to go he just walked. Twigs and rocks cut into his bare feet as he walked. Hunger set in and all the pain he'd been ignoring took its toll. The first night he found some mushrooms and bugs to eat. He shivered through the night as the cold set in.

For two days he walked in hopes of finding somewhere when he came across a stream. He lapped at the water as he felt his withered body become hydrated.

Three more weeks Marco wandered the woods. Surviving on insects and bugs, he felt his strength draining day by day. Finally it had all got to be too much as he fell to the ground. His now overgrown hair covering his face. He heard footsteps approaching him and looked up to see a lady in green looking down at him. Evangeline.

* * *

 **/**

Marco sat up with a jolt. He was back in the med bay of the butterfly castle. He reached to his neck and found that he damage had been healed from before. He quickly got up, grabbed his stuff and rushed to his room. He packed his bags and got everything he would need. He was going to leave when he felt hesitation in his heart. He grabbed some paper and a pen and jotted down something before turning to open a portal.

"Sorry? Is that all my daughter gets? A single word?" Marco moaned as he turned to see Queen Moon standing with his note.

"I'm sorry Queen Moon however I will be cancelling my promise and leaving this kingdom. Thank you for all you have done for me but I must be going." Marco turned to walk through the portal but it was gone.

"I told you he would try to run the moment he woke up." Heckapoo walked out from the dark. Marco froze. He was surrounded and his options were limited. To make matters worse his vision was still blurry.

"Marco.. You don't have to leave." Moon said ignoring Heckapoo.

"I must. I can't stay any longer.. I've stayed too long as it is.." Marco whispered more to himself than the other two.

"Dude! What are you running from! I mean when I met you.. You were worse than this, always scared to stay in the same place but I thought you grew out of it. No one is coming for you!?" Heckapoo tried to tell him. Marco shot her a nasty glare.

"You don't understand.. No one does.. I had forgotten it all.. I got comfortable again.. I'm going to leave before I am betrayed again." Marco spat back. Both woman became quickly aware that Marco was not well at the moment. The effects of the air loss to the brain and whatever he saw while unconscious was making him act erratically.

"Marco stop.. We will not betray you.. Star would never betray you!" Moon reasoned. At the mention of her name Marco froze. It was like a trigger that snapped him out of the past. It also seemed to summon Star as at the moment her voice was loudly coming from behind the door.

"Marco Diaz! I am coming in!" Star kicked open the door and saw everyone looking at her shocked.

"Oh… hey Mum.. And Heckapoo.. Fancy meeting you here… in the dark.. In Marco's bedroom.." Star said confused. No one spoke in response so Star acted on her own.

"Anyway.. Marco you missed our friendship time so you are going to come join us for dinner for once. I'm done sitting alone. Come on." Star grabbed him by the hand and led him from the room as Moon and Heckapoo watched on both in amusement and flabbergasted.

* * *

 **/**

 **The Next Day**

Marco sat down beside the flower bed under the bright sun above. He heard a familiar set of footprints approach as their owner sat down beside him.

"Star?"

"She's in her magic lesson. I've been told to stay here and not wander off again."

"So you're not leaving..?" Moon lifted her hat to look him in the eyes.

"No.. Not yet.. I should.. But I can't leave her just yet.. She isn't ready.." Moon smiled at him. For all his secrets and his dark past she had come to believe River was right. He was a bright good young man and with the right guidance he could stay that way. Heckapoo had been made to tell her everything of their time together. How Marco assisted in her duties, even MCM related ones. How he saved lives and became a legend for all his deeds. But also how he was treated like scum, unappreciated in many places and even was betrayed by people they both trusted. His time together with her was not easy but it was the time before Heckapoo that was harder. Moon had dug deeper and had found out from a survivor what had happened in the prison to the slaves and to Marco. The loyalty and blind faith that ex-slave had in Marco astounded her. He could be an amazing leader and companion to Star. He needed to be. And for that end, Moon swore to protect him and watch over him.

"Good.. I don't think these flowers would be happy if you left either.. I don't know what burdens you carry Marco.. But I will protect you as long as you serve this Kingdom by my daughters side. I will protect you." Moon reached over and kissed him on the forehead before pulling him into a hug. Marco had felt such warmth before.. It was a mothers love. Their moment was disrupted by another explosion from Glossaryck's tower. Both looked up to see a horde of tentacles rise out of the tower as Star shot at it from the Griffin she rode above.

"Are you?"

"Yes." Marco stood up and started to walk towards the disaster. He should have felt happy, he should have felt calm but he couldn't erase the unease inside his heart. He was hoping that his dream had been just that, a bad dream and not a warning of things to come.


	6. Chapter 6 - The First Loss

**Legacy Of Loneliness#6**

 **A/N: Thank You All for reading and for those who reviewed! Sorry about the delay on this chapter but I was doing a solo project as well as the winter holidays, However, this is the longest chapter I've ever written so myself and Mr Black Cat hope you all enjoy it and please if you want feel free to message if you have questions or leave a review and let us know what you thought.**

* * *

 **The First** **Loss**

Marco stared out of the window of the carriage as it bounced along the bumpy path. He let his gaze fall back to where they had come from. Marco and Star sat alone in the carriage having been sent to visit one of Star's relatives who seemed to be reaching the end of his days. Not wanting to intrude, Marco had tried to make himself scarce only to find Star holding onto the sleeve of his hoodie and before he could even protest or refuse Moon asked him personally if he would attend the visit with Star.

Marco watched as the trees above robbed them off their light and took note of the earthly smell that filled his nostrils. He could see the animals that lived in the forest lift their heads with natural curiosity before disappearing into the trees. He wanted to keep his attention focused outside the carriage but another small tug on his sleeve told him that he was not going to get his way today.

"Marco..." He turned to see Star's gaze focused on him. Her eyes were reflecting more light than they usually did, which he put down to her wanting to cry but holding back the desire at least in front of him. The red patches around her eyes and sore nose told him that the moment he had left her side earlier she had started to let her emotions go.

"Hey Star, Everything okay?" Star nodded slightly but the effort was more of a telling sigh that it was not all okay than the words could ever have been. Marco leant forward and pulled her head into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his hoodie, making sure he couldn't see her tears.

"You don't need to lie to me.. Talk to me Star? Who are we going to see and why are you so upset?" Marco felt a little guilty for being so blunt but wrapping her in cotton wool could only protect her for so long. Star pushed away from him rubbing her eyes quickly, still trying to hide her tears.

"Okay.. It's my grandfather on my fathers side. He's the only grandparent who didn't treat me like the rest of my family, he didn't consider me a pest or a rebel. I was just his little Princess! He taught me so much but more than anything he taught me to believe in myself and make my own path. I may be a Butterfly but it doesn't mean I have to fly as gracefully as every other one he used to say. I love my grandfather so much and I usually try to see him whenever I can.. I haven't been able to go for a while as it was leading up to the wand giving ceremony and he wasn't well enough to attend. I'm not sure how much you heard my mother saying about him reaching the end of his days but he really is near the end." Marco wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to comfort her but wasn't really sure how when she continued speaking.

"Why do people have to die? Why do they have to leave..? And why is it always the good ones that leave first?" Each question she asked he was sure was rhetorical but felt like answering would be a wise choice.

"Why do people die? That's easy to answer Star. If people didn't die then life wouldn't mean anything. All the precious moments and memories we make would be nothing more than an endless play. Nothing would be precious as it's because it's short and delicate that we protect and cherish it. Why do they leave? Because it's their time. We all have a life and a death, even me and you. Our time will come and we will have to go whether we do what we wanted or not, that's why you should always love and hold those who are dear tightly. Each moment is a gift. They leave because they need to remind us to make the most of the time we have left. And for why the good ones die first... I think it's to give the bad ones a chance to turn themselves around. If the world was full of good people then the bad ones would only act worse. If the great and powerful, the kind and caring, all those who shine so brightly always stayed then how would we ever see the small lights hiding behind them." Marco finished speaking realising he spoke a lot more than he wanted to only to turn and see Star smile at him.

"Only you Marco Diaz could come up with such a perfect answer to such imperfect questions.." She chuckled before sighing again.

"Star did I ever tell you about my Grandfather?" Marco was hesitant to start this subject but thought it would be productive to share his own experience.

"What no? You never talk about your family? Are you gonna tell me about him?" Star asked excitedly. She paused and laughed at her own irrational excitement.

"Just this once." Marco confirmed. Star nudged closer to him and rested her head in his lap. He felt his face turn red and was glad she was facing away from him. He would usually try to push her off or tell her to get up but was willing to let it slide this time.

"I never actually met my Grandpa, I only heard stories about him from my own father. He told me that my Grandpa was a great man, he loved the world and everything in it. He wanted to travel far and wide and see everything it had to offer when a war broke out. One that would shake the world for many years to come. Seeing the damage and hurt that the war caused he signed up and fought for our country. He defended his people and his pride. He may not have won the war by himself but when my Dad spoke about him... He may as well have. My Grandpa came home and instantly confessed to the girl of his dreams. He had seen horrors that could not even be mentioned and decided he'd spend the rest of his life filling his vision with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Happily married they gave birth to my father. He was big and strong even as a child but he was more gentle than any person could have imagined. He loved art and creativity. My Grandpa was so proud that his love of the world had passed on to his child. As time went on he grew older and less well. Finally in his last year of life he found out my parents were expecting a baby, me. He was told he had only one month to live but defied the odds to make it to the whole 9 months. He was the first person to hold me, he kissed me lightly on the forehead giving me his blessing and love before sitting down and passing away peacefully. I never really met the man but he defied common sense just to say hello to me.. I love him and my father.." Marco heard a light mumble and looked down to see Star sleeping lightly. He smiled before taking his hoodie off and sliding it over her. He heard her make some noise below and listened as she spoke in her sleep.

"...You love the world the most... Marco.."

"Maybe you're right Star.. I loved the world more than anyone will ever know.."

/

Marco and Star stood facing the entrance to the grand mansion in front of them. Marco, honestly, had been surprised by how amazing the place looked. It wasn't a castle like the one he resided in currently, nor was it a small dwelling. It was a beautifully well crafted home, sparing no detail as Marco looked at the engraving in the wooden door. He ran his hands across it and couldn't believe how defined the features were. It was a man standing on top a felled bear. His axe still sticking inside it's skull.

Star on the other hand turned and dug her heels into the ground. Marco looked over to see her pressing her hands to her knees, only strengthening her grip on the ground. He was about to ask what she was doing when a large yell came from behind the doors. Marco jumped back as the doors burst open, revealing a horned beast charging at them. Marco grabbed the horns and dug his heels in. He was forced all the way back into Star who pushed against him giving him strength. He felt like the muscles in his body would tear under the strain so used quick thinking to shift his body weight and send the beast flying away from them both. Marco pulled his daggers from his bag and held them up as the beast stood up.

"MARVELLOUS!" Yelled the beast with a haughty laugh. The beast shifted its helmet back revealing it's Mewman face.

"GRANDPA!" Star yelled out with glee, she ran and jumped into the mans arms as he span her round laughing. He threw her into the air to an astounding height before carefully catching her and placing her on the ground.

"Star my dear! You finally managed to block my charge! I have to say in these final days I could not have expected to be given such a beautiful and marvellous farewell present!" The man laughed with the vigour of ten healthy men. Marco returned his daggers and began to wonder if they had been misinformed. Star's face went red with embarrassment as she turned shy. She twirled her foot on the spot as she tried not to look at his beaming smile.

"It doesn't count Grandpa! Marco helped me!" Star pouted. Her Grandpa merely laughed more and picked her up. He put her on his shoulder where she seemed to sit quite comfortably before moving to meet Marco.

"Greetings boy! I hear you call yourself Marco! What a fine young little friend you have! Not many, even among my peers, could have hoped to send me flying like that! You two make quite the team!" He held his hand out to shake Marco's. Marco returned the gesture and smiled as he felt his hand being crushed under the mans enormous strength.

"Pleasure to meet you sir." Marco returned the greetings and put his own strength into the handshake, not enough to hurt but a strong enough message. Star's Grandpa smiled widely as he faced the boy in red.

"Star sweetie, How about you head inside and see if you can't find our memory book! I'm sure Marco would love to see it?" Star's eyes lit up as she jumped down from his shoulder. She rushed inside, followed by crashing sounds.

Marco turned back to see her grandfather on his knee. He held his heart tightly as his face revealed his intense pain. He coughed violently into his hands. Marco barely caught a glimpse before he tried to hide it but he knew what blood looked like better than most. The man looked up at the boy and smiled. He wiped the blood from his mouth and stood back up.

"Apologises young Marco, Men must never show a woman their weakness, especially the ones they love."

"I don't think that's particularly true... I think by overcoming their weakness together they can grow stronger. If you love them you should let them in, after all you couldn't have weakness without a we.." Marco sighed at his own bad joke but was relieved when the man started to laugh. Marco found his laugh infectious and ended up laughing with him.

"The name is Ocean Johansen. I know yours Marco Diaz. I know you hide many things and I know you will protect my granddaughter. I can see that much." Ocean wiped a tear from his eye, still enjoying Marco's bad joke.

"Ocean?" Marco asked confused.

"Yeah I know why you have that look. I'm Ocean and my son is River. It's not like the family was going for a theme. It's just that River didn't have a name for a while as a baby. He began to crawl and no matter where I went the little pest would find me. All rivers lead to the ocean so since he would always lead the way to me, he got the name River. That and they all thought he was soft like me so should be named after me!" Ocean laughed again as he reminisced of younger years.

"Forgive me sir.. But you are not soft! If it wasn't for Star you would have crushed me flat!" Marco could still feel the ache in his muscles and his bones creaking as they recovered from the charge.

"True but that is a small game that Star and I have been playing since she was little. She was always so confident that she could stop me that it became a greeting of sorts and I'm proud to say once more that her doing it is the greatest farewell present I could have asked for." Marco smiled thinking about how shy Star had gotten and how he was seeing a new side to her. It wasn't the rebel or the princess... It was Grandpa's little monster.

"How long do you have left..?" Marco asked all of a sudden. Ocean stopped laughing as he looked down at Marco. The boy had fixed his gaze upon him as his brown eyes bored into him. He liked the boy immensely. He knew when to laugh and when to be silent, and he knew when his charge was in need of aid.

"Star's made a good friend in you.. I'm glad someone like you came along." Marco paused. What had this man heard about him.

"I can see your confused again. You need to learn to hide those emotions more. Star isn't the brightest in the sky but she learns quick. Moon came to see me, told me everything and then some about you. Don't worry I haven't told anyone and I don't intend to. Your secrets safe with me and I'll take it to the grave. Then again, your secrets I know are nothing compare to the ones I don't.. Either way I'm glad she has you. You aren't all sunshine's and rainbows but you're sure as hell not some barbarian. You are the balance she needs to get stronger and be herself. Everyone has always tried to shape that girl to their own needs from her parents to her friends to the public. I just want her to be herself and with you making sure she doesn't stray too far I'm confident you can guide her right."

"Why do you believe in me?" Marco asked tonelessly. He needed the answer.

"Because you get the job done. I've seen people ruled by logic and those by emotion. I can see you have a heart in you boy but at the same time you never let this conversation flow from your control. You know what is necessary so you will protect my granddaughter. It's not even your choice anymore!" Ocean laughed again as Marco was about to question his comment. His attempt was interrupted, however, when Star came jumping out holding a book high above her head.

Marco sighed and let himself be dragged into the house by the pair. The inside was as fascinating to Marco as the outside. The walls were decorated with art works and woven silks. The mantle piece had sculptures of both beauty and skill. Marco found his eyes enjoying more and more of the view as Star dragged him to the couch.

Marco was forced to listen as Star showed him image after image and explained the story behind them. The time when River and Grunt had snuck off to fight a band of giant dancers in a dance off only to lose big time and have Ocean come bail them out. Ocean chasing after Lump who had taken a bite out of his favourite Jacket. Star riding her grandfather's shoulders as he jumped off a cliff and various other stories Marco was sure become legends in their own right.

Marco listened well into the day, into the afternoon and finally to the evening. Star eventually put the book down much to Marco and Ocean's relief. She ran to their carriage and pulled out a picnic basket. Apparently these were packed with all of Ocean's favourites from the castle so everyone dug in and enjoyed them. They took turns telling stories of their adventures, Marco only telling ones he knew that Star already knew but she listened none the less. Ocean laughed and cried as he heard their tales. At one point Marco and Star were arguing about one of the details and Ocean found himself watching them from afar. The children, while right in front of him, slipped further from his gaze. He knew his time was coming so dug deep and continued listening. Not wanting to waste his fading time.

Finally after much discussion and enjoyment Ocean took Star and tucked her tightly into bed. He waved goodnight to her and Marco and stumbled back to his study. It was on the other side of the mansion and he wouldn't be heard there. He took one more step and found his vision fading completely as he passed out.

/

 _"Star! Don't run like that!" Moon cried out to a young Star Butterfly as she ran widely through the mansion's flower bed. Moon pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She turned and apologised to Ocean before jumping up to chase after Star._

 _"She definitely takes after you more than Moon, River!" Ocean laughed wildly as he watched his grand-daughter escape from her mothers clutches and climb up a tree. River watched on with pride filling his heart._

 _"Really? Because I think our little Princess takes after both me and Moon-pie equally. Where she has my strength and my cunning, she also has her mother's caring nature and strong heart. Where she has my speed and instinct to survive, she has her mother's grace and her strength too. I may be strong physically but I'm weak inside... Moon-pie has always been my strength and Star inherited all of our great qualities. I'm worried about her to be honest with you High-father" Ocean turned and looked at the boy, or the man he had become. He could see his eyes were full of bags from sleepless nights and his face looked tired. He was certainly the most kind of his kin and the only one respectfully enough to still call him High-father. He knew that River, among all of his children, was always destined for more than a barbaric life. He looked at Moon as she climbed the tree trying to get her daughter and smiled. The uptight butterfly had just torn her dress to shreds to get to their daughter. Her pride was nothing compare to their Star._

 _"Leave her here with me for the weekend.. I'll talk to her. I know how brightly she will shine one day under your's and Moon's loving watch. Let me give her the words of Ocean the Wise." He chuckled as his given title. Many considered being wise in the Johansen family just meant having normal intellect but those who gifted him the title did so for his ability to see through others and see their potential. He had helped train many of the greatest warriors of Mewni, not in the art of war but the art of the mind. He liked the title, although seldom used it. To refer to oneself as wise was quite egotistical after all._

 _/_

 _Moon and River waved goodbye to Star as their carriage drove away. She sat in the tree silently until they were gone from her sight. Suddenly she burst out crying loudly as her tears fell from her eyes. Ocean walked over and struck the tree with his fist. He held up his other hand and the little girl landed in it with extreme accuracy._

 _"Gwand.. Gwandpa?" She questioned as she wiped her tears. He pulled some cloth from his top and blew her nose. He used his rough thumbs to wipe away her tears before sitting her gently on his shoulder. She wobbled a bit at first but grabbed onto his horned helmet for stability._

 _"Tell me child, Why did you wait to cry?" Ocean asked her. She breathed in deeply and tried hard not to cry anymore._

 _"Because I was told that if I kept crying my Mum would hate me!" Star admitted._

 _"Who told you that?" Ocean asked curiously. He bent down and began tending to the flowers she had crushed earlier. Star watched him doing it and felt guilty for jumping on them. She slid down his back and crawled close, starting to help him._

 _"No one.."_

 _"Well then no one is an idiot! Your mother loves you and if you had cried just then she would have come back to get you. If you hide your feelings and wait for others to notice then you'll lose the things you treasure!"_

 _"So I'd lose my lucky rock?"_

 _"Yep!"_

 _"And my lucky boots?"_

 _"Yes..."_

 _"And my lucky horns?"_

 _"Sure.."_

 _"And my-" Ocean put his hand over Stars mouth and shushed her._

 _"Star, you'll lose it all." Ocean watched as the girl began to count her precious things on her hands. Each finger that went down signified another thing she'd lose and as she held her fists she started to cry again._

 _"There, there child." Ocean picked her back up and carried her in his arms._

 _"I.. I dwont.. I dwont want to lose anything!" She cried out. He smiled at her expressing her feelings._

 _"You know... I happen to know a way to protect those things" Star sniffed sharply, wiping her tears again and staring at him._

 _"Here, sit down and I'll tell you." Ocean set Star down on a chair in front of him and sat down in his own arm chair. He stretched his arms out wide and looked down at the chair to find it empty. He looked at the weight climbing up his leg and noticed Star sit down in his lap._

 _"How... How can I keep them all?" Star asked sincerely._

 _"You can't keep them all.. No matter how hard you try to protect them my little princess, you will always lose things now and then." He took note of how crestfallen Star became. "But Star, I do know how to protect them for as long as you can."_

 _"How?"_

 _"You be yourself. In life all these people will tell you who you are meant to be but only you can find that out. Who is Star Butterfly? I don't know but this little girly here can tell you. You don't have to change for others and you don't have to conform to them. You may be a Butterfly but it doesn't mean you have to fly as gracefully as every other one of them. Do some back flips and some tricks while your at it. Do what ever you need to do Star. You want something, take it. You love something, show it and if anyone ever tries to take what you love... Show them why you are STAR BUTTERFLY!" Ocean looked down at Star. Her eyes shone like bright stars themselves as she ingested each and every word he had said._

 _"So I have to be myself!" Star asked, she looked down at her own body with some doubt._

 _"Yes, and if anyone doesn't like that its their loss."_

 _"Are you.. Yourself?" Ocean laughed at her innocent question._

 _"Yes Princess, I am. I am Ocean Johansen the Wise, a very old man." Star laughed at his last comment making him smile. He thought her laugh itself was so adorable._

 _"How do I be myself?" She questioned._

 _"Well... What is it you want to do right now?" Star thought hard about it before coming to a conclusion._

 _"I want to jump from Deadman's dive!" Star's eyes lit up as she recalled the dangerous sounding place she had overhead people talking about. Ocean raised an eyebrow as she looked at him expectantly._

 _"Deadman's dive? Hmm?" He pretended to be deep in thought considering her request as she got more and more tense._

 _"I think not..." Star's face fell._

 _"I think not.. Without a way to take an awesome picture! Capture the moment forever I say!" Ocean leant over and pulled out an old camera the family had owned. Star's eyes lit up as her Grandpa picked her and the camera up and ran to the door._

 _"ARE WE REALLY GOING!?" She questioned excitedly. He looked down at her and noticed her rubbing her eyes and yawning. He put her down and left the camera on a table._

 _"In the morning, right now I think someone needs to get some sleep."_

 _"What? I'm not even *yawn* tired!" Star protested. Ocean laughed once more._

 _"You? Oh no... I was talking about me! I'm knackered and could use a nap. Care to keep me company?" Star nodded as the two returned to the arm chair. Ocean pulled a book out and began to read. He had barely finished the first sentence when a light breathing let him know into sleep she had fallen. He picked her up and carried her to bed. He turned to leave and quickly snuck back down the hall._

/

Ocean opened his eyes and struggled to see anything when a sharp pain stabbed through his body. He bit into his lip to stop himself from screaming out in agony. He felt a soft pillow under his head and sat up confused. He looked over to see Marco looking through several medical journals.

"You won't find any answers there boy" Marco turned to see the elder looking awful.

"I figured that might be the case.."

"You moved me in here? Does Star know?" Ocean asked concerned.

"No, I caught you as you fell... Which I have to tell you was very hard. I moved you in here quietly before checking on Star. She's sound asleep."

"Good boy.." Ocean felt his heart start to slow. He knew he was on borrowed time. He tried to smile at the boy but the pain kicked in and he began to cough up blood violently. Marco rushed forward and jabbed a needle into his arm. Ocean felt the pain fade away leaving him numb.

"Strange.. I feel.. Nothing?" Ocean said as his pain was finally gone.

"..It's a special drug.. It stops the nerves in your body sending pain signals. It won't help you... Just make it easier." Marco's voice was empty. Ocean looked at him and put his hand to his shoulder.

"You're a good boy.. No.. I'm sorry. You are a man Mr Diaz, one after my own heart. I will leave Star to you so you better take good care of my granddaughter." Ocean said with a parting smile. Marco felt conflicted inside not knowing why the elder trusted him.

"I will Sir but seriously why me?" Marco asked to no reply.

"Sir?" Marco asked again. He went to move forward when Ocean's arm fell from his shoulder and the elder fell back to the bed. Marco put his hands to his neck and swore when he felt no pulse. He reached over and closed the man's eyes before moving his body into a more comfortable looking position. Marco tried to make it look as natural as possible before closing the books on the desk. He returned them to their place and tidied up as best he could. He closed the door gently and fell back against the door, letting his emotions and fatigue guide him into a troubled sleep.

/

"Marco?" Marco felt his eyes thrust open. He had to rub his eyes as he was still filled with tiredness. He looked up from the floor to see Star staring at him with a wide grin.

"I guess you couldn't wait to spend more time with Grandpa Ocean either! I told you he was great! Come on let's go and wake him! We can head out and show you where Deadman's Dive is!" Star went to get the door when Marco stopped her.

"I just need to make a quick call.. Can you wait? I want to do it together?" He asked as sincerely as he could. She listened to his request and nodded. Marco walked to the end of the hall and dialled up Queen Moon.

"Marco, What do I owe the pleasure?" Moon said with a smile. She took one look at his expression and knew the answer.

"Stay with her please... We'll be there shortly." Moon said hanging up the phone.

"So Marco you ready?" Star quizzed. He nodded and waited as Star turned the handle and entered her Grandfather's room.

* * *

 **/**

A week had passed since Ocean had been officially declared deceased. Marco barely remembered a single moment passing as they had attended his funeral. The details of how Marco had been by his side as he slipped away and made it easier for him had somehow spread among the guests and he was thanked by more people than he'd ever have imagined. Hundreds of people had come to see the wise man off. From Knights to Scholars, Royals to average folk and even a few Monster kin had been granted special permission to see the man off. Marco had been surprised but when he thought of the time he spent with the man he couldn't see him getting hung up on something like race.

Star had been a shell of herself, dressed by the maids and shepherded with Marco. He held her hand and guided her through most of the funeral. She seemed to greet people on trained instinct and he was sure nothing was getting through to her.

* * *

 **/**

Now a week after and he peered into her room to find her in exactly the same place. She lay on her bed, still, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't moved from the spot and was starting to worry people. Marco watched her full of concern. He knew what death did to a person and right now she was in the first stage of grief. Denial. She had a long way to go before she was ready to accept her loss but he knew a good way to start. He had been to see Moon earlier in the day to get permission for their trip and was now readying to get Star.

"Star! I'm coming in!" Marco called in to no reply. He went and sat down beside the bed. She didn't turn to look at him or greet him so he decided to lay down next to her.

"I'm here if you need to talk Star?" Once again Star didn't reply to him so he turned to face her. With him so close she had no choice but to face him too. They stared into each others eyes.

"If you don't want to talk... Just listen." He could see bags under her eyes, she looked tired. He wondered how much sleep she had actually gotten in the last week.

"I'm not going to say that it's going to get better quickly or that hurt you're feeling is going to fade with time, as in reality, that loss stays with us for the rest of our lives. However, that's not a bad thing Star, we carry those we lost with us, in our hearts and in our memories. I don't want to watch you waste away in here so I'm gonna keep that promise I made to you on your wand-giving and take you on an adventure. So get out of this bed and get ready... For me." Marco didn't wait for a reply. He slid off the bed and left the room. Marco shut the door and let himself fall against the wall until he was sitting on the ground. He looked up to see some of the maids waiting expectantly. He nodded to them and they smiled as they heard a small bell ring from inside Star's room.

Marco hadn't understood at first what the bell was for or why they waited but it was apparently custom to leave the grieving to their own devices until they ring the bell. Then, and only then, could the maids continue their work in the room.

After a small amount of time had passed Marco looked up to see Star standing over him. Her usual smile no where to be found. He smiled in her place, happy that she had listened to him.

"You ready?" He asked as he stood up. She nodded in response to he cut open a portal. He offered her his arm and she linked hers around it. He knew some people might get the wrong idea where they were going but he wanted to give her the support she needed.

They turned to the swirling mess of colour that would let them travel to another dimension and walked through it. Although he had never really thought about it, Marco sometimes felt that walking through a portal was like walking through a waterfall. You feel a strange sensation cover over your whole body and before you know it you are somewhere else.

As they stepped out of the portal Star found herself looking around at the crowded place they've arrived. People ran around trying to deal with something and there were stalls and vendors around them. She thought at first this was a market place and was about to go back when Marco tightened the grip on her arm and pointed ahead of them.

"Welcome Star Butterfly, to The Dimension of Festivals. The lands of Jubilee and entertainment." Marco indicated to a giant decorative sign with flashing lights that said exactly what he just did. Marco could see the hesitation and confusion on her face.

"I know you love the bounce lounge and the place is one big never ending party but if you want real fun you have to come here. Every single day there is a different festival and celebration. Yesterday it was the celebration of people who are left handed. Tomorrow is the right handed jubilee. However, in between the days of left and right is a special festival that I try to come to every year. The Strongest Warrior Festival!" Marco explained with a big smile on his face as he pointed out the left handed merchandise and props that were being moved away and the right handed ones being put where they could be reached easily tomorrow and finally to a giant coliseum that people were putting together as they spoke.

Star looked up as he carried on talking about what the day entailed. She wasn't really listened to him ramble on but felt he was different today. He was trying to fill the gap she was leaving. Usually she'd bounce into his path, full of joy and laughter dragging him wherever she thought to take him and he'd do his best to keep them safe and have fun. Today, however, he was guiding her and trying to be the one who kept them moving. She still couldn't hear what he was saying when a gruff voice started to call out his name.

"Oi Marco Diaz! Marco M'boy! I know ya can hear me!" Star poked her head round Marco as he tried not to make eye contact with the man who was approaching them. He was a middle aged man, his body covered in scars and missing a leg. He hobbled over on a wooden one with a big smile on his face.

"Thought ya' could avoid me!" The man laughed loudly before tripping on the dirt and being sent flying forward. Marco let Star's arm slide until he was holding her hand and moved to stop the man from falling. When he had helped him up he didn't change how he was holding her leaving her slightly red as she looked down at their hands locked together.

"As if I could avoid you." Marco rolled his eyes before laughing and greeting the man with firm handshake. Star was slightly surprised having never really met someone Marco had known before her other than the village in Babylon.

"Aren't ya gonna introduce me to this pretty thing you're locked hands with?" He asked leaning closer to look at Star. Marco moved to block the man's advance on Star which only made the man more curious.

"This is my friend Star Butterfly, She's going through a hard time at the moment after losing someone close to her so I thought I'd bring her to the tournament to cheer her up." Marco turned to face Star. "Star, this is Ty, just Ty as everyone knows him and no one would use his surname even if they know it." Marco sighed making Ty laughed even harder.

"Pleasure to meet ya Miss Butterfly, the names Tyson Dragonslayer. No one uses it because they're just afraid to admit my names cooler than theirs."

"Nice to meet you.." Star replied shortly. The man took note of it and remembering what Marco told him decided to try to help.

"Follow me back to the shop kids." Star waited for Marco to refuse so they could carry on with their day but was surprised when he moved to follow him. She let herself be pulled along but was starting to wonder if this really was her Marco. He was smiling and laughing. He had friends and didn't try to avoid them. What was so special about this place that he acted so different?

After a brief walk the trio arrived at a small building with a large window. The man slid behind the counter-like-window and smiled at the pair.

"Wat'cha think Marco!? I finally got me a real set up going!" Showing off his new store Ty smiled widely. Marco, clearly, had not been expecting to see Ty's own shop and congratulated his friend. Star decided to zone out again when Ty called over to her.

"So missy, let me guess that your wondering why Mr Grumpy over 'ere is all smiles today?" Ty raised his eyebrow seeing Star perk up interested in their discussion now.

"A little.." Star tried to hold back how much she was curious but Ty could read through her.

"Well you see... Marco 'ere is the reigning Strongest Warrior Champion. He had to come back today to defend his title and every warrior in this place will be wanting a piece of him." Ty pointed out a few people who had their eyes fixed on the group.

"Since he arrived 'ere you two have been under constant supervision. He's smiling to show them he's not scared of 'em. He's a contender and he is ready to keep his title. At least, I know where my money is going. Grumpy 'ere loves this place and you should have seen his last victory. It was down to him and Kaz, a rouge mercenary from the Nomad realms. He thought he'd be the winner with no competition but this 'ere Marco finally decided to stop throwing the fight and take the crown." Star turned to Marco when she heard about throwing the fight.

"Ahh don't blame 'im Princess. Winning this basically labels ya as someone to fight and beat. If he didn't turn up then he would have been declared open house. The general rule of thumb 'ere is that if you win you are left alone as the best but if you refuse to fight again then you can be challenged whenever and wherever the challengers want. It's a pain to be the best after all." Star started to understand why Marco wouldn't want to win when all of a sudden Marco grabbed Ty by the collar.

"Strange Ty, I never mentioned that Star's a princess. I take if you know then everyone knows." Marco let Ty go who straightened up his clothes.

"Come on kid. Everyone knows everything about the top fighters 'ere. At least where they are living when the contest comes around. Plus it's pretty big news when the big bad boss himself has started living in a castle and hanging with the Princess. Anyone would be curious, but don't worry. You know the rules of this place, She'll be safe here." Ty explained. Star looked between them confused so Marco started to explain.

"The Tournament has rules to it.

No fighting outside the matches.  
No theft.  
No racism or unnecessary acts of aggression.  
No swimming in the fountain.  
And, No breaking any of the four above rules.  
Anyone who breaks the rules will have a open bounty placed on their heads and be banned from ever returning."

"So you see, ain't no one gonna waste the joy of this place on bothering a Princess. I mean don't go broadcasting it but you'll be fine. Anyway I've taken enough time up from your date. How's about ya head over to the tavern. The guy's there will be wanting to see ya."

"Can't I'm afraid, We got to register for the tournament." Marco tried to say before Ty whistled over to an official. He pointed to Star and Marco and the official ran over, stamped something on their hands, took their picture and pinned a number to their chest.

"All registered up! Now don't be a stranger. Your little miss enjoyed the story I told so you know she'll love heading to the tavern. After all you can tell her about the adventures you had with those guys outside of this place!" Ty forcefully waved them goodbye before heading back into his shop to get some more merchandise. Marco sighed again before pulling out a map and looking where the Tavern had moved to now.

"What's that?" Star asked looking over.

"It's a map of the place, it changes depending on where the stalls are. It could look like this today but next year look completely different. It is placed in your pocket when you arrive in the dimension. You probably have one too." Marco pointed to her pocket. Using her free hand, since Marco was still holding her other one, she reached in and pulled it out. Her eyes lit up in surprise as it showed her name and Marco's on the map, as well as Ty and Official#373.

"It uses a sort of magic or psychic link to record your name and anyone you meet. It's to help you navigate around this place." Star looked over to Marco's map and noticed there was at least 100 names on there. The place where most of them where staying seemed to be the Tavern Ty had mentioned.

"So Marco.." Marco turned to Star as they kept walking. Surprised she was now talking to him.

"Yes?"

"What is this place?"

"I told you already. It's the Dimension of-"

"Yessss I know that but I mean what is this place to you?" Marco paused as she turned to him. Her smile was still missing from her face but he could tell she was doing a little better now.

"What do you mean?" Marco tried playing dumb, hoping to not have to answer but Star was stubborn.

"What is this place to you? You usually try to hide all the stuff from your past but you brought me here... And you're happy here?" Star felt strange asking the last part as she felt he was happy when he was with her but knew sometimes when she turned her back to him his smile would fade. Marco knew he couldn't avoid answering so tried to think of the best way to explain why he loved coming to this Dimension for the Tournament.

"My past isn't great, the small fraction you've seen of it should be enough to show you that it's better left forgotten. I hate the things I've seen and am sickened by the things I've done.. I did what I did to survive but it doesn't make it any less wrong... But here.. I don't have to fight to survive... I don't have to kill and rob people of their lives... I can use my skills and fight for fun. I can meet people and not have to worry about them betraying me as here everything is simple. Everyone is here to fight or here because they love to fight. No violence or hate is permitted as this isn't a fight to the death but a place for those who love to fight to find others like themselves. I think you can understand, You often get misunderstood at the castle but here everyone is a rebel in some way. We can just be us, whoever the us of today want to be." Marco finished and noticed Star's smile had slightly returned to her face. She leant over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for bringing me here... I know you had to come here but you didn't have to take me with you. If you hadn't come in my room I don't think I would have moved for another few weeks. I'm not ready to talk about it yet... But I think I want to take part in this Tournament that means so much to you." Marco felt himself try to hide how much he wanted to smile at Star. There she was, the strong and amazing girl he knew she was. The two stopped as they arrived in front of a building labelled sloppily with the sigh 'Tavern'.

"Wait, it's not a tavern.. But called Tavern?" Star asked bemused.

"Yup. The owner sees no need to give it a proper name since everyone knows that if you want a tavern you go to THE Tavern. It's like a symbol." Marco smiled as he ran his hands against the engraving by the door. Star looked at it once he moved his hands. 'Drink if you win, Drink if you lose, Drinks for everyone, Plenty to choose.' She wasn't sure why but it made him smile all the more.

"Don't be alarmed when we go in.." He warned her as they pushed open the doors and stepped in. Star had to let her eyes adjust to the large room. She had thought it would be poorly lit and just tables but when inside there was a large stage with all the tables facing over to it. The bar was still firmly in the room but the bar table spread from one side to the stage so it was possible to always get a drink. Behind the bar was every kind of bottle imaginable and Star finally got what the 'plenty to choose' was indicating to. There had to be at least a thousand different drinks to choose from. As they entered a bell seemed to ring and the music stopped. Everyone turned and stared at the pair. They waited for the door to close so they could see properly but as soon as everyone laid their eyes on Marco there was nothing but smiles and cheers.

 **"MARCO!"** Everyone rang out as many rose to greet them. They made their way through the room as it seemed everyone had something different to say.

"Man, it's been too long, can't believe I missed last year when you finally stopped playing with your opponents!"

"Mister Marco, Where have you been! I have been waiting to hear the end of that story you were telling me last year!"

"DIAZ! I hope we get to fight again this year! I don't think you'll be disappointed with my new power!"

"Marco! Welcome back!" Star couldn't help but marvel at how adored he was. She had seen similar joy when heroes of the Kingdom returned home from battle. Everyone wanted to see them and most wanted to be them. Here, Marco was both a hero and everyone's friend. They finally made their way to the bar where two drinks were waiting for them.

"About time you got here!" The man behind the bar told him with a smile. He picked up a glass and started to wipe it clean as they took their seats.

"Don't worry, it's your usual. I ain't giving you any more special mixes after the last time and the girls drink is soft, Not saying you ain't tough sweetie but until you choose your drink you stay soft." Star turned to Marco again for explanation, feeling that most of the day would be him explaining the weird customs this place had. She wondered if that's how he felt in the Butterfly Kingdom.

"The sign said it outside. You choose your drink. Everyone has a drink that is theirs alone, whether it be a mix or a straight. Over time you soon find the only drink you'll ever want to drink here, although all of drinks that Zar makes are amazing." Marco took a sip of his drink and seemed to get goose bumps from the taste. Star took a bit of hers and found that it was like drinking hot tea or coffee when you're really cold and felt the heat move through her. She wasn't sure of the flavour as it seemed to change from strawberry, to raspberry, to apple and so forth. She took a big gulp and couldn't believe all the different flavours it had.

"Well I'll be damned. I've never seen a first timer get their drink."

"She's a strange one I can assure you of that." Marco laughed as Star's eyes seemed to turn to hearts as she kept drinking the drink. He eventually leant over and pried it from her hands.

"Don't drink it all at once..."

"Don't worry, Her's is non-alcoholic. Can't have a Princess drinking underage in my establishment."

"Oh? Cause it'd be the first time?" Marco questioned suggestively.

"I forget who I'm talking to.. You seem to know all my little secrets don't you... But remember, I remember a secret of your's Marco." The barman raised his eye brow back. He went to turn back to Star only to find the girl a few centimetres away from his face.

"That seemed to get your attention didn't it Princess?" Zar laughed loudly. Star blushed and leant back in her seat. She wanted to hide her face behind her hands but remembered that Marco was still holding her's so blushed ever further.

"Ermm.. My name is Star Butterfly." Star held her hand out to shake. Zar took it gently and gave it a small shake.

"Pleasure Princess Star Butterfly, The name is Balthazar Tavern, but you can just call me Zar. It's what all the kids do." Marco snorted at his remark, Zar looked over before whacking him lightly on the head.

"Don't be rude now Marco, you're one of my kids here." Behind them there was an echoing chant of 'one of us' which made Star chuckle.

"He calls anyone who finds their drink here one of his kids. It's lame but he's a good guy and a better informant." Marco explained while Zar pretended to be offended.

"I know everyone in this joint and all the little eyes that are watching the contenders report to me. You need details on an opponent you come to me, of course, for a fee."

"Yep, but his fee isn't money, you don't even pay for your drink here. The drinks cost friendship but the favours cost favours." Marco told Star seriously.

"And it's thanks to that little favour that I got myself a secret here on Marco, Now since you've given me the pleasure of finding your drink in one go and bringing my boy back to me how about I tell you that particular story, of course, if Marco doesn't mind?" Zar smiled widely as Star turned to Marco with her eyes sparkling. Marco turned back to Zar who mouthed 'Ty' to him. So the Merchant had blabbed about him being here to cheer up the Princess, that, and how Star was looking at him left Marco feeling railroaded into agreeing.

"Fine.." Star turned back to Zar after getting comfortable. She took a big swig of her drink and settled in for the story.

/

 _"So Marco had asked me a favour, not like the usual ones where you find out a contestant's fighting pattern but one where he wanted a location for where someone lived. For that sort of favour I needed something in return so I asked him to come be some muscle on a quest to get a particular dew of a ageless plant. It was hidden in a labyrinth guarded by a fierce Minotaur." Star was listening attentively as Zar started the story. Marco turned and noticed everyone else had also started listening. He would have told them to stop but knew it was pointless, plus he was sure by now everyone knew his 'secret'._

 _"Now I myself was terrified of the idea of running into the beast but my boy over there didn't seem that bothered. He hadn't even brought a weapon just some strange stringed lute. We ventured deep into the labyrinth over traps and trials. Monsters and madness. We spent days, maybe even weeks, exploring that place trying to find the Ageless Dew. Dead end after dead end started to drain my enthusiasm but Marco never lost his focus, never stopped moving and without me even noticing had mapped the whole labyrinth. He had done it so if I ever wanted to return I could find my way easily. He then, without any effort, led us straight to the centre of the labyrinth." Star span round to Marco._

 _"Wait? So you knew where the middle was?"_

 _"Yeah.. I mean I worked out the pattern and just wanted to be sure. We catalogued that whole area. Zar's an informant as I said before and something like that is valuable to him. I clear my debts Star so I always make sure to deliver." Marco replied with a smile. Zar continued with the story._

 _"He did more than clear his debt, that map is priceless to me. That Dew is one of a kind and I now have a secret source and the only map to get it. The only problem was the Minotaur. A half Mewman half beast creature that has the strength of both times by who knows what. It guards it's territory with conviction and when we got near the Ageless Dew it appeared. I was scared, mind you, hearing what I have about it, I thought it was the end for us. I ran at it with my blade held high ready to fight to the death, having put the idea of life out of mind. When out of no where Marco trips me up and tells me to stay still. The beast was getting closer to us and our way out was now blocked." Zar paused for dramatic effect but almost laughed when he noticed Star now on the edge of her seat._

 _"All of a sudden Marco pulls out his strange Lute. He starts to strum at the strings and the beast seems to react to it. He changes the tune and sways left and right. The Minotaur copied him and was entranced by the music. I never would have thought it possible, to tame the beast with some chords. Then I found out Marco's secret... The boy CAN sing. He kept strumming at them strings as the voice of an angel seemed to fill that room. The Minotaur seemed to be struggling to keep his eyes open as Marco sang for him before finally the beast crashed to the ground sleeping peacefully. Turns out, a Minotaur when young only sleeps to it's mothers song. When they're kept apart and it can't hear the music it doesn't sleep and becomes a deranged, over protective mess. Once it had a small nap it thanked us before heading back into the labyrinth. Marco, here, saying that if I sing to it every time I come in then it won't mind me taking the Dew. So there it is, the boy who fell a Minotaur with only a lute and his voice."_

/

Balthazar finished his story to applause from everyone in the room, most of all Star. Her eyes seemed to be stuck on the shinning setting as she span to Marco.

"You can sing!" She questioned quickly.

"Oh you bet he can!" Replied Zar, not letting Marco speak. Marco suddenly had a bad feeling about what was happening.

"Sing for us Marco!" Someone called out from the crowd. All of a sudden the lights on the stage came on showing an empty mic and a piano. Marco groaned as he realised that Zar had set this up.

"YOU'RE GONNA SING!?" Star asked bursting with excitement. He wanted to refuse so badly but knew how happy this would make Star. He gave a dirty look to Zar who merely chuckled.

"Just this once!" Marco declared. Star gasped with glee and then sat patiently as Marco moved over to the stage. The crowd was cheering for him and as he reached the stage someone yelled out 'speech' to him before everyone started chanting it. He looked over and saw Star joining in with them.

"Well what can I say... I bloody hate you guys.." Everyone burst out laughing as Marco smiled.

"Every time I see you I swear I either end up almost dying or beating your arses in the tournament. I just want to let everyone know that I've taken note of your faces and if I fight against you later I will not be holding back!"

"Enough of the threats! Sing for us Marco!" Marco took note of who yelled it out. _'Oh Nox, you better hope we don't get paired together.'_

"Okay here I go.." Marco turned to the piano and sat down. He pressed a few keys to get a feel for the instrument in front of him. He then paused as all lights apart from the one on him went out. 'Breath.. Just get through this.'

"Alone I stand here singing,  
About things still yet to be,  
Of careless whispers being spoken,  
And of Love that sets me free,

I don't know why I'm sharing,  
These thoughts buried deep inside,  
My heart keeps beating faster,  
So in you I must confide,

Love can make you fearful, So you try not let it show,  
But soon your heart betrays you, As it tries to let everyone know,  
I'm hoping, praying, asking, If you will set me free,  
From this sickness that I'm feeling, This love that won't let me be,

I'm scared of all that's happening,  
My reason is no more,  
You're making me go crazy,  
With feelings not felt before,

The sound of silence broken,  
My heart's crying out for you,  
Four letters start to bind me,  
I'm trapped in love with you,

Love can make you fearful, So you try not let it show,  
But soon your heart betrays you, As it tries to let everyone know,  
I'm hoping, praying, asking, If you will set me free,  
From this sickness that I'm feeling, This love that won't let me be,

So I'm alone now singing,  
As my heart beats you a song,  
I can only confess my secret,  
And hope that I'm not wrong,

Just in case you love me,  
And this is no delusion,  
Let me scream I Love You,  
Before I lose sight of this illusion,

Love can make you fearful, So you try not let it show,  
But soon your heart betrays you,As it tries to let everyone know,  
I'm hoping, praying, asking, If you will set me free,  
From this sickness that I'm feeling, This love that won't let me be."

Marco looked up from the piano to see everyone staring back at him silently. He was beginning to wonder if he was off a note or ten when everyone burst out cheering and applauding. Some of the group started to wolf whistle and some of the more magical of the crowd made flowers appear and threw them on stage. Marco took a bow before returning to his seat. When he got there he was almost tackled to the ground as Star wrapped her arms around him before pulling back. Her smile was wide enough to reach both sides of her face. Her cheeks were glowing with a red hue as she wiped a tear away from her eyes.

"That was beautiful Marco! What is the song called!" She said excitedly. She looked down and realised she'd grabbed his hand as if her's were meant to be there. She looked away from his gaze as she waited for his answer. He smiled knowing she'd be okay.

"I guess it doesn't really have a name.. How about.. I Fear You?" Marco questioned more to himself than to Star but she answered nonetheless.

"Fear? But wasn't it a love song?"

"Love can be scary. Not when you don't know how someone else feels about you or what it really means to love someone.." Marco admitted to her.

"I think when you love someone you'll know.." She said back. She raised her head slightly to meet his gaze and smiled. The two stood silently staring into each others eyes when a voice rang out.

 **"SO WHOSE GONNA TAKE ME ON IN AN ARM WRESTLE!"** Star jumped past Marco quickly answering the challenge.

"ME!" Marco laughed before turning back to the bar when Balthazar was waiting with a look of curiosity.

"Strange... That's not the song you sung for the Minotaur?.." Zar asked with a grin.

"I wasn't singing to the Minotaur this time."

"Oh I know, But I'm not sure she does. Don't wait too long Marco, that Princess won't be a Princess forever, she's gonna need a king."

"Don't be silly.. You know I can't be with her.. I'm staying for a year like I promised then moving on.."

"Just like always eh?" Zar asked while sighing. He watched the way they looked at each other and how Marco couldn't help but keep an eye on her.

"Yes. You know full well that I can't stay there forever."

"No, No i don't. Because no one does. No one knows much about you, everyone knows a tiny bit but it's like trying to do a puzzle the size of a castle with the pieces to make a single window. No one knows why you keep running or what you are running from. Heckapoo's been here asking for information and we've had spies from the Butterfly Kingdom too but it doesn't matter if even I know nothing..."

"It's for-"

"My own good. I know but tell me this Marco. When you're done with all the secrets, all the lies and all the running. What will be left? And If I were you I'd start thinking about how I would be saying goodbye to that little gem over there. You know this is different from the other times. She won't betray you.."

"You don't know that!"

"And you do? Marco you've never brought anyone here, never spent time with us unless you were forced into it. She brings someone out of you that we've never seen before. I don't want to tell you how to live your life but maybe take a risk with her..."

"..Why does everyone keep trying to push us together?"

"What do you mean?"

"Her grandfather, the person she lost. He asked me to look after her, Her mother and father did the same. Even the castle staff came to me when she hadn't left her room and now you. Everyone thinks she needs to be with me."

"Well maybe they do... But I think you need to be with her more. She's good for you. Now I'm just an old bartender whose seen many people come through those doors but she's something special and you should hold onto that." Marco didn't reply as Zar left to serve someone else. He watched on as Star was already on her thirteenth win at the tables. He chuckled before looking at his watch. It was about ten minutes before the matches would start. He noticed other fighters getting their belongings too and as she beat the last challenger she rushed back.

"SOOOOO what now!" She said with a massive grin.

"Now we head to the coliseum." Star wrapped her hand around his and ushered for him to lead. He chuckled before the pair left waving goodbye to Zar who had started to shut up shop in order to watch the tournament.

The pair walked through as Marco pointed out some of the top fighters to Star. She chuckled when he told her about Sir Bottom but Marco insisted that if she came against him then she better take it seriously as he was a tough knight. As they were walking Marco felt a presence lock onto him and rush at him. He turned as a fist stopped a centimetre from his face.

"Hello Kaz." Marco said with a smile. Star tried to remember where she had heard that name when she recalled Ty mentioning the person who came second place.

"Don't pretend you saw that coming Marco! I will win this year and I will avenge my failures. You winning last year was just a fluke and I'll show everyone how strong I've become." Kaz started to monologue, not noticing that Marco had already ushered for Star to leave with him.

"Does he do that every time you see each other?"

"You have no idea!" Marco replied with a smile. They heard Kaz calling out from behind the crowd for him to watch himself.

"Sooooooo what's the plan."

"We are going to go to the waiting area. We'll get called out by our number and when it's called we go to fight our opponent. If you win you go to the next round's room and wait again. You do so until there's only two people left and the winner of that match takes home the prize."

"So... Keep going until you win?" Star asked with a mischievous grin.

"What are you thinking?" Marco picked up on her grin.

"Well... What are we going to do when we get to the final? Will you actually fight me properly?" Star asked with a big grin. Marco suddenly knew why she was so excited. He had tried hard not to ever let their combat training or practice get too extreme so neither of them had ever really shown their best to each other. Star had pushed for Marco to do so but he'd always make excuses not to.

"If you can make it to the final.." Marco said teasingly. Star pretended to be offended by his remark.

"You think I can't?"

"We'll see!" Marco chuckled as they heard some numbers being called. Marco looked down at his top and for the first time realised he'd been given number one.

"That's me Star, I'll see you in the next room. If you can make it that far." Marco winked over to her as he left.

/

The crowd roared with excitement as vendors walked around trying to sell produce or making bets. The area was like those of old that Gladiators would have fought in apart from big glass magical devices either side that showed everyone the fight from a closer angle. A single man walked out into the middle of the coliseum and tapped onto his magical voice enhancer.

 **"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MONSTERS GREAT AND SMALL! THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO OUR VERY SPECIAL 200TH STRONGEST WARRIOR TOURNAMENT! OUR WARRIORS HAVE GATHERED FROM DIMENSIONS KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, VENTURING ALL THIS WAY TO HAVE A SHOT AT BEING NUMBER 1!"** The announcer yelled loudly causing the ground to shake as the crowd cheered wildly. He smiled knowing he may get to see some good fights this year since that boy was back. In truth, the warrior who usually won the contest couldn't even compare to the strong out there, it was more of a fun sport for those who are willing to take part but last year he watched someone easily win the number one spot thanks to skill rather than luck. He could see already from the new contenders and some old ones who had only come back for the 200th Tournament that they were after that sweet number one spot. Some real competition meant for a better show. He tightened up his bow tie and tapped his device once more.

 **"MY NAME IS DIO AND I WILL BE YOUR HOST FOR THIS EVENT, NOW I WANT TO CALL FORTH OUR FIRST TWO CONTENDERS! NUMBERS #1 AND #34"** Unlike the last contest that had over 100 participants this one had been whittled down to 36 before it had begun. Those who were either known to be top contenders or the intelligence gathered about them indicated they'd be worth fighting against.

Marco stood waiting in a tunnel leading out to the fighting area. He smiled as he ran his hands against the engraving's on the wall. Many fighters would write their names and the position they finished in so next time they could cross it off and improve. He looked near the top and saw his own name with a big number one beside it. He hadn't done it himself, one of the others from the Tavern had done it as they knew he wouldn't. He looked up to the number one above him and somehow felt like it wasn't going to change any time soon. At least not until he met Star in the final.

He walked out from the tunnel as the lights seemed to cling to him, revealing him to everyone. They took one look at his brown hair, the little mole and the bright red hoodie and then almost deafened the boy as they hailed their returning champ. He looked across to his opponent and sighed. He had gotten a whiny. Marco hadn't understood the nickname at first but now he did, those opponents who would talk big before the battle and then whine forever about how they could have won if they were in top fighting form. Usually the cry of a wounded dog Marco had found it was a good method of separating the real contenders from those who got in on merit alone. Kaz was close to the line but actually had skill to back up his talk to avoided getting the label himself.

The whiny happened to be a young man from the Underworld Dimension, Marco had met a few of their kind before but never had good experiences with them. This particular hot head had spiky blonde hair and bright red eyes. He wore a black leather jacket with 'Hot Dude' written on the back and black jeans. Marco found himself thinking that if he suddenly got on a motorbike he wouldn't be surprised. The demon took off his jacket showing that he did indeed have some muscle to back up his attitude. As the two faced off against each other the demon took a look at Marco and spat on the ground. Marco found the show of disrespect enough convincing to end this as flashy as he could.

"Marco! Marco! Marco! The whistle blows and watch him go! Marco! Marco! Marco!" Came a chant from the area. Marco couldn't help but smile as the people sang out for him.

"Got yourself a little fan club don't you? Well lets see what they're going to be singing when I kick your ass! Maybe I'll help myself to that little Blondie you were with. Girl looked familiar so maybe I saw her around somewhere before, can't see why I'd have let her go and end up with a loser like you." #34 taunted Marco, Usually he'd have ignored it but for some reason when he brought Star into it he made it personal. Marco put his hands together and bowed neatly to his opponent, a sign of respect Marco had practised many times for an official duel. The demon merely laughed at it as Marco raised his fist in front of him, taking his stance.

The demon didn't bother taking a stance and instead just lifted his hand up and indicated for Marco to come closer. Marco turned to face the referee who blew the whistle indicating the battle had begun. Marco shifted his body to the left dodging the obvious but powerful charge that the Demon tried to finish him with.

Usually Marco would have ended the fool in seconds but knew the audience wanted a show. He ducked as a wave of flames was slashed where his head once was. It then occurred to Marco that he forgot to mention the magic rules to Star. Magic was allowed as long as it was generated by the body alone. Some species were magical beings like Pixies and Demons. Both were beings formed of magic and to block that would render them unable to fight. That being the case, most of the more skilled fighters refused to use their magic as they wished to gain strength beyond their natural abilities. In fact, the first demon Marco had ever encountered was a proud individual who refused to use his magic and wanted to fight on strength alone. He was powerful beyond his race.

Looking at how his opponent tried to rush him Marco was kind of disappointed he didn't take after his kinsman. Marco easily dodged his flaming fists and then proceeded to trip the Demon up. The crowd laughed at how Marco toyed with his opponent, everyone of them knowing exactly what Marco knew too. Those over confident would meet their match in the tournament of the Strongest Warrior.

The Demon stood up with his hands burning hotter than ever. His three eyes seemed to be burning with rage. He ran at Marco swinging his fist to punch him in the throat. Marco punched his fist upwards leaving his body vulnerable. A quick jab to the gut left the demon coughing in pain. He, however, didn't stop. He grabbed a handful of sand, throwing it into Marco's face. Marco could have dodge but decided to pretend the attack was effective. He closed his eyes and pretended to be in pain. The demon laughed as the crowd booed loudly. The sound was a little distracting but Marco knew what he was doing. He could hear the Demon's wary approach, it amused Marco that he was starting to be cautious. Marco felt a sharp burning pain to his back as he was kicked to the floor. He then felt another quick kick into his gut, clearly his opponent was petty. Marco decided enough was enough and rose to his feet. He waited until the demon thrust his fist towards his face and grabbed it with his bare hand. He looked at the fear growing in his opponents face and bent his hand backwards. The demon yelled out in pain as Marco head butted him in his third eye. Marco let go letting him fall to the ground and raised his fists triumphantly in the air as the crowd roared with excitement.

Marco knew people like the Demon behind him. Over confident pains that when they faced something difficult would result back to a coward. Marco quickly shifted his body and had his suspicions confirmed when he felt a sharp slash to his arm. He held his hand to his arm and looked at the blood that ran from his body. Looking back at the Demon he could see he had used his flames to shape the sand into a glass shard. Alarms started ringing around them as the consequences of breaking the rules kicked in.

"What have you done?" Marco asked disappointed. He turned to see the Demon burning with rage as he scarred the very ground he stood on.

"I'll KILL you. You've made a fool of me! You and all who laughed at me!" He snarled at the boy.

"You must really not understand this place... You will regret what you did.." Marco started to back away from the fool. He could hear the punishers coming.

"WHY DO YOU RUN!" The Demon laughed hysterically. He wasn't aware the crowd and arena had gone silent. The only noise was the rushing movement heading towards him. The Demon barely had time to react as a chain wrapped around his throat and dragged him to the ground. He tried to melt them with his flames but it did nothing. More chains burst from the ground and wrapped around his hands and feet. He screamed as fire erupted from his mouth. A black hand moved out from the ground and gripped his mouth tightly. He looked over to Marco in fear as he turned his back on him. The ground began to crack and the Demon disappeared from view.

Marco knew what would happen next... He'd be taken to a cell to calm down and then have his travel revoked to the dimension. Marco wasn't quite sure why the process of arresting the rule breakers was such a dramatic and horrifying one but assumed it helped convince other rule breakers not to commit the same crime.

Marco felt his arm be thrust into the air as Dio yelled into his mic.

 **"I GIVE YOU THE FIRST VICTOR OF THE STRONGEST WARRIOR TOURNAMENT! #1 MOVES ONTO THE NEXT ROUND!"** The crowd took few moments to react but burst into a familiar cheer. Marco waited until Dio turned his mic off to speak to him.

"Did you really have to use me to take care of the risk?" Marco moaned. He hated being betrayed but more so he hated being used.

"I'm sorry Mr Diaz. I didn't want to do this either but you are our returning champion and as such have certain responsibilities. You are one of the only contenders who could have made it clear whether he was a threat or not without sustaining serious injury."

"That better be the last one of these 'responsibilities', I'm here with a friend to have fun."

"Of course Mr Diaz, We made sure to arrange this first to allow you time to recover. We have no wish to bother the Princess with such troubles. Please, if you would, the next match will begin." Dio gestured to the exit and Marco nodded farewell. He personally liked Dio and knew where he was coming from but hated that he'd been used. He was glad no one else would have gotten hurt, if it wasn't for his quick reflexes Marco would have sustained a life threatening injury meaning anyone else could have died.

He took his seat and let the coliseum staff start to tend to his wound and wondered how many people he would have to see come through those doors before Star joined him.

/

Star had long grown bored sitting in the waiting room. Everyone apart from one other person had already left and thanks to the loud cheering of the crowds had finished their battles. She looked at her opponent and wondered what they would be like. She could tell they weren't Mewman but wasn't sure if they were a Monster. It was possible it was a race Star hadn't come across before but the male towered over her. He had a black fighting Gi with a small white symbol. His skin was a mustard yellow and he had two large horns poking out of his long spiky red hair. She was bursting with anticipation when she finally heard the announcer call her number.

 **"AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, I GIVE YOU, NUMBERS #2 AND #32."** Star nodded to her opponent who bowed in respect back to her. She smiled, happy she had been given someone friendly to fight. As they walked out of the tunnel he spoke to her.

"Your first time?" Star looked up after hearing his deep husky voice.

"YEP! What about you!" She answered back in a bubbly tone.

"Same for me, I have trained for several years after witnessing my first battle. I was enchanted by the honour displayed between the fighters and sought to experience it for myself."

"Then let's do this and have fun together!" Star raised her hand and the man looked at her confused slightly but then shook her hand, he realised that her smile might just be infectious as his face began to mirror her.

"I won't go easy on you?" He added as they reached the end of the tunnel. Star stopped and turned to him.

"That's perfect! I'm a little strong and if I know you're going to go all out then I can as well."

"Were you worried I wouldn't be able to take it?"

"A little..."

"Thank you for the concern, I must admit I feared the same. So let us go out there and fight with all our might. Only then can we truly experience the might of the Strongest Warrior."

"And we've got to have fun!" She beamed another smile at him as they walked out into the coliseum to overwhelming applause. As they reached the centre the two nodded at each other and bowed. The announcer started to speak but neither was paying attention. Their only focus was on each other and the fight before them. When the whistle blew neither moved. They remained motionless looking for a weak spot. The crowd remained silent, knowing full well that if this fight was how they expected it they should remain focused on it extremely well or they'll miss something amazing.

Star was the first to move, she swiftly jolted from the spot, leaping into the air and bringing her foot into the throat of her opponent only to have him block her easily with his arm. He tried to grab her with his other hand but she kicked off his arm and span back to the ground. Not wasting a moment she bent her knees and thrust forward starting to shower him in punches. He tried to block each one with his palms but found the odd strike hitting its mark. The first told him that the girl wasn't kidding when she had said she was strong, the second and third told him he couldn't risk taking many more. He made himself appear to leave his chin open to Star was baited into striking. He grabbed her hand and threw her into the air. She tried to regain her balance but wasn't able to and the man brought his arm down onto her adding to the gravity leaving her crashing painfully into the ground. She actually seemed to disappear into a Star shaped hole in the ground when she shot up. Her blonde hair now littered with sand. She stood up and cracked her back loudly before turning to him.

"You said you wouldn't hold back?" She looked at her hand and then raised them in a familiar stance. Dio looked on with a smile recognising the Red Knight's technique and wondered if he really had taught the Princess.

"Who said I was?" He rushed forward to grab her again when Star lunged and wrapped her hands around his wrist. She used all of her strength to lift the giant man into the air and slam him into the ground. Without missing a beat she ran forward before darting back and jumping, bringing her knee into his chest causing him to cry out in agony. He stood up and spat blood from his mouth. He staggered slightly but charged again. Star went to repeat her move but he kicked her right foot out taking away her stability. He lifted his knee and thrust it into her diaphragm. Forcing her to gasp for air he wasted no time in punching her in the face sending her flying across the arena. She rolled to her feet and wiped the blood from her lip with a smile.

Both fighters ran at each other forsaking defence for landing the next critical hit until both remained swaying on their feet. Star looked up, moving her red and blonde hair from her vision. She could see the man was one good hit away from going down but felt herself at the same point.

"Really went all out didn't you?"

"Not quite Mr. I have a little left in the tank." Star smiled as her cheeks marks began to glow white without her notice. She ran towards the man. He decided to meet her challenge and charged forward. She intentionally left a gap in her side her he tried to kick her down but she jumped, landed on his leg and then used the force from his kick to ascend higher. Wrapping her hands around his horns she kicked him in the face and riding his body, which had been lifted from the ground due to the force of her kick and landed on top of his unconscious defeated body.

Dio rushed forward, calling in some staff. Two large men came charging out with a stretcher lifting the man on and taking him to the med bay. Dio lifted Star's hand into the air as the cheers grew even louder. For the first time she heard them calling out her name in support. She looked around and even noticed some people had her name on a sign. She spotted a few among the many others, taking note that Marco had far more than her.

 **"FINALLY, THE FIRST ROUND IS OVER WITH! THE WINNER BEING NUMBER #32! GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL WARRIORESS!"** The crowds cheers grew louder still as Star smiled widely.

"Head for the exit, you'll need some medical attention before your next match. Marco is waiting for you Princess." Star looked up at Dio who winked and pointed towards the exit. Star ran with a smile until she burst into the waiting room. Sure enough standing waiting for her was Marco with a worried expression.

"Who were you fighting to end up like this?" He took some supplies from the medical staff and started to tend to her wounds.

"Don't know, Some big yellow guy with horns." Marco shook his head not recognising the description as Star felt her wounds start to tingle. She looked down at her wounds as they started to heal.

"Wow that's some strong potion!"

"I know, the ones they buy in for the tournament are some of the best. It's a solid purchase as it's always needed."

"Cool! Anyway I made it into the second round!" Star beamed a smile at Marco who started to laugh. Clearly her first round had been more exciting than his own. He listened as she recounted the tale of her battle and how she managed to beat him.

"Wait... You tried to copy my technique?"

"Well yeah... The amount of times you've kicked my butt with it I'd thought I'd try to do what you did to me but it only worked the first time." Star stood up and showed Marco her stance. He was rather impressed she copied it so well but pointed out where she had gone wrong.

"You left your leg too exposed. Bring your feet together more and use them as the foundation. You need an unshakeable one to move the unmovable. Think of it like this.. To move a mountain, you can't be weak in the knees. To move the skies, you can't be shaken by a breeze. A firm foundation will create the strong, with no weakness can you go wrong." Star listened attentively as Marco smiled recounting the words once spoken to him. He never tried to teach her any real fighting techniques of his own, only trying to push her own techniques further. She felt her cheeks turn the same shade as her hearts as Marco held her arms to show her the pose she needed to take.

"So... Are you unshakeable or unmovable?"

"Neither Star, I'm still a long way before perfecting this technique. Only by studying hard and practising the basics can one truly master the art of self defence." Star nodded as they heard the announcements start again.

"Well that's me Star, I'll see you in the next room!"

"You know it!" They bumped fists as he left the room. She let her body grow limp and then took the stance again. Practising again and again. She didn't notice it but everyone in the room had a smile on their face. To them, the Princess and the reigning champ could be anyone but before them they saw two rivals sharing smiles and techniques, growing stronger because they could. It made them all the more eager to fight, eager to win.

/

The next round was a rather disappointing one following the intense battle people had seen Star give in the final of the first. Marco tried to string it out but his opponent only seemed to have raw strength and next to his speed fell easily. Star on the other hand had someone who focused on speed. She couldn't see where he was coming from and struggled to keep up with him but after the first few attempts realised he couldn't a hard enough hit to really faze her. She had to time it perfectly, waiting for the very moment he hit her to grab his wrist and punch him in the face rendering him unconscious.

She skipped back to the waiting room to find Marco waiting. They discussed their battles as the last eight contenders waited to see their next opponent. Marco couldn't help but notice how bright her smile was now as she told him about how she used her brain to win.

Walking out into the quarter-final, Marco turned to see #7, she was a slim woman who appeared around the same height. Her eyes were blind folded and her lips sown shut. He might have been bothered if he hadn't encountered the silent witches before. It was a group of female warriors who seal off their sight and voices. Focusing more on their hearing, their touch and sometimes even smell. It was said that with a single deep breath they could predict the weather for a week just on how the air smelt and felt.

He bowed to her and watched as her lip curled slightly. She was aware of who he was, as in the room his heart beat was the most calm, the most peaceful. It beat to a beautiful rhythm that calmed the mind and the chance to make that heart race in battle excited her. She raised her claws and cracked her knuckles.

 **"FIGHT!"** Marco rushed forward, dropping and sliding between her legs trying to take her out but found her impossible to move as she dug her claws into the ground. He rolled out the way as she tried to slash at his face before jumping up and kicking away her claws. He could feel the wind graze his face with each of her swings as she matched her rhythm with his. She could feel him start to breath deeper as he tried to dodge her attacks. Her heart beat slowed as his sped up until the witching hour had arrived where they moved in harmony. The audience were spellbound by the fight before them. Marco gracefully dodged each attack and tried to return with one of his own, only for her to spin and attack again. Dodging for her was just a means to attack at a different angle. He felt himself backing further and further back.

Marco finally managed to land a small hit causing her to stumble back. He wiped his sweat dripped hair from his forehead and started to calm his breathing. He knew he needed to remain calm and cautious. He'd heard rumours of the Silent Witches and of how you either never saw them coming or died under their spell. They would sync their heart to yours before ripping yours from your chest. Obviously this was not a death match so her abilities were limited but that was the same for Marco. He knew he would have to face those claws to win.

Marco ran forward as she raised her claws to slash him. He grabbed them with both his hands causing blood to splash onto the sand before smashing his head against hers. She would have cried out in pain if she could but managed to remain standing. Her head ringing she tried to listen out for him again when a loud clap exploded in her right ear. Soon followed by one in the left. She couldn't hear properly and tried to find him in another way but a simple flick of his hands and his blood covered her face. She could smell him all around her, on the floor, behind her, in front of her and even on her. She knew he had outsmarted her so held her hands up in defeat. She felt him cup her ears so all fell silent until her hearing returned.

"Sorry about that, had no choice if I wanted to win." He pulled a cloth from his pocket and cleaned the blood off of her face so she could regain all her senses. She nodded in gratitude as he bowed back in respect. The two left the stage as the crowd seemed to have lost themselves in joy and excitement. People had started to wolf whistle at them both.

Star was next out but didn't see her opponent until she was already waiting in the middle. She turned to see a face she recognised greet her with a scowl.

"So it's the losers little pet princess huh? Not sure how you got this far but you'll regret not dropping out earlier." Kaz growled at her. Star tensed up as he insulted Marco and felt her brows grow heavy as she stared at him.

"What? Don't like what I said? He is a cheap bastard... A cowardly loser who infects all with that weakness.. He may have beaten me last time but I'll show him just how inferior he is.." Kaz spat at her.

 **"FIGHT!"**

"You won't even get the chance.." Star stated as Kaz ran at her. She caught his fist easily and kicked him to the ground. She waited for him to get back up and run at her. He jumped up and tried to spin kick her from the air but she merely jumped higher and brought her foot down on him crushing him into the ground as her first opponent had done to her.

"You bitch.." Kaz spat out from the ground but as he tried to get back up Star brought her elbow down onto him and forced him back down. She grabbed him and threw him up forcing him to his feet. He staggered raising his fists weakly to oppose her wrath.

"If you couldn't last even a few minutes with me you would never beat him. Marco is no loser, he's no coward and he is definitely not weak. He is my friend, my best friend, and my hero. He has done nothing but fight for me and protect me.. I may be weak but I will not allow anyone to hurt or insult my friend." Star's cheeks began to glow again as her eyes lit up too. Her rage consumed her as she drew her fist back and thrust it forward. Kaz's legs seemed to float off the ground as the force sent him flying all the way into the wall of the arena. Star didn't notice as the light faded from her face and remained fixed on Kaz's now spiritless body. She almost punched Dio when he tapped her shoulder lightly to let her know she had won. Star breathed out heavily before walking slowly to meet Marco.

She kept her gaze on her fist, wondering where she pulled that strength from. She opened the doors hoping to see Marco but he wasn't there. She heard cheering behind her and realised the semi-final had begun and she would have to wait to see him. She sat down and then almost jumped out of her skin when a voice spoke to her.

"Do not dwell on the defeated. Your pity will only break their heart. Be strong young warrior and be proud of yourself." Star looked up a man in a knights armor looking at her.

"I thought you couldn't use armor?" Not wanting to admit what she was feeling.

"I remove it before each battle and place it on again after. For me, this armor is who I am. At the end of this I will still be Sir Bottom, Knight Extraordinaire but for each fight I am Richard, a warrior." Star tried to stifle her laughter again realising that Marco had forgotten to mention his full name was Sir Dick Bottom but she turned to face him.

"But you still hurt those people out there.."

"That's true.. We don't live in such a luscious world where people don't get hurt... People will rise and they will fall. People will fight and they will hurt. Worst of all, People will live and they will die. It is the inevitable truth of life itself however with that comes a choice."

"What choice?"

"How do we live that life? That's the choice. We warriors seek battle, to prove our strength and feel the joy of triumphing over death itself however here, no one dies. It is a rather uniquely beautiful setting if I do say so myself. I can affirm that Marco Diaz also understands the truth of this day and place. No one, on this day is a killer, murderer or worse. No one will die or have lasting pain as long as everyone's hearts remain joined in the firm belief that we seek strength beyond mere violence." Sir Bottom finished speaking and noticed Star deep in thought at his words.

"What bothers you child?"

"...I lost someone.. Recently. Marco brought me here to cheer me up and he has but if I'm going to lose everyone what is the point?" He felt goose bumps as she asked her impossible question.

"There is no point my dear but that's why life is so precious. If it all can crumble like sand in the wind then what you do is capture each moment in memory. You love someone? Make memories with them. You have a goal? Reach for it with passion. Never let yourself be less than you are as in life you are akin to a single shinning Star in the sky. You may only be seen once or possibly many times, so make sure you are brightening up the dark sky. Your only choice is to be who you are and do whatever you can for the things you love." Star's eyes opened wide as she heard the last sentence. It was almost the same as what her grandfather had told her all those years ago. She nodded at him in response to his words and took in what he said.

"I love my friends, my family and my kingdom.. I want to protect them.. So I have to be stronger and smarter. I have to study harder and grow as much as I can.. I can do anything as long as I believe it true.."

"Exactly my Princess... Now I hear the crowd roaring so i think that the fight might just be nearing it's end. Let us prepare for the moment when our dreams and hopes clash in glorious battle!" Star smiled as he removed his helmet. He was an elderly knight, not quite on her grandfathers age but well in his years. He had wisdom that came with age and Star took it to heart. She raised her hands and readied her stance once more. She took what Marco had taught her but decided to incorporate her own twist to it. She would be ready.

/

Marco on the other hand grabbed at the wound in his chest. Blood ran from his mouth as he looked up at his opponent with a smile. His opponent grabbed at his throat and tried to breath amongst the pain.

"You've gotten even stronger Mephisto! Who could have imagined you'd push me to this extent!" Marco chuckled as he regained his posture.

"You continue to amuse me boy. You act like me beating you is but a dream. The true surprise is that you could resist me so!" Mephi laughed in turn.

"You ready?"

"Always!" The two ran at each other trading blows as they aimed for the critical spots. Marco sliced his palm into his throat again but his endured the pain to punch Marco in the wound he had dealt earlier. Both bit into their lips to brace the pain and continued to strike at each other. Marco went on the defensive and blocked each strike from Mephi before returning with a sharp punch to his throat. Mephi started coughing and blocked a second attack from Marco.

"..You're being stubborn."

"So are you."

"A handicap for you.."

"Like I need it." Marco smiled again before running up and trying to assault him with kicks. Mephi merely hit them away before kicking Marco in the side. He caught his foot and brought his elbow down on it breaking it with a loud crunch. He then punched forward sending Mephi to the ground and punching him in the throat again. Mephi managed to kick him off but was starting to lose his vision as breathing got harder and more painful with each breath. He knew what Marco was going for and didn't care, he loved how straightforward the boy could be. He stood up on his one lasting leg and faced Marco.

"It's been a pleasure boy. I'll see you next year!" Mephi laughed loudly as Marco charged towards him. He dug his fist into Marco's wound as Marco pulled his head back and cracked his head into opponents. As he staggered back from the hit Marco struck him in the throat once more sending him to the floor motionless. He lay with a big smile on his face. Marco bent down and picked him up into his arms. He walked towards the med bay with a matching smile on his.

"Likewise Mephisto."

/

Star looked up to see Sir Bottom standing with clear posture in front of her. He remained vigilant and firm as the announcer called out for the fight to start.

Star charged forward and rushed to punch him only for him to dodge her easily.

"Maintain your stance, the punch was good but your intentions were clear."

She jumped up and tried to kick him only for him to push her foot causing her to spin around with ease.

"Your movement is good but you need variation."

Dropping to the ground Star pushed against the terrain sending her flying into Sir Bottom. He tried to dodge her by stepping to the left but she pulled her arm out, wrapping it around his neck and lariat-ing him to the ground. She raised her arm and tried to bring it down on him but he used his arm to block it. He tried to punch her but she rolled away before pushing the ground and rolling backward, bringing her knees down onto where his stomach would have been if he hadn't already moved.

"Beautiful technique. Using the element of surprise is crucial to your victory."

Star took Marco's stance which Sir Bottom recognised and then noticed her change to a variation of it. He decided to play ball and charge with a punch towards her. He expected her to grab him and throw him over her shoulder but instead she grabbed his wrist with one hand pulling him closer and using her other fist to strike him directly in the chin. It was a move that changed the technique of getting distance into one that removed it completely and could even be a finisher. He went to stumble back but realised she hadn't let go yet. She jumped off the ground and drop kicked him away from her.

"A brilliant move, use their force to deal more damage and then don't allow them to gain distance. It will require some practice but it will become a force to be reckoned with."

Star smiled hearing his praise before rushing forward. She tried to strike him again and again but he blocked her and then directed her on how to improve. She felt her strikes grow sharper and her hits cleaner. She knew he wasn't fighting back but instead trying to let her grow stronger. After managing to knock him off his feet and send him flying with a kick she decided to confront him on it.

"Why are you helping me? Why aren't you trying to win?" She asked between jabs.

"Well I wish to see you grow young Star. I know you may not have been aware but I was at Ocean's funeral and had known him for many years. He use to tell me about you and how he wanted nothing more than your happiness. I guess I'm just being a sentimental fool but I also think this isn't my time to shine. I'll leave the final to the younger generation. I believe you have a date with our reigning champ?" Sir Bottom felt himself grin as Star started to tear up a little hearing more about her grandpa.

"Thank you.."

"You are most welcome, I am grateful to Marco as he managed to make something clear. Your grandfather would not want you to mourn him but instead celebrate his life! Now how's about you show me what your holding back before facing your friend in the final!" Star nodded before stopping her barrage of flying fists. She stood back and breathed deeply before locking her eyes onto Sir Bottom.

Star ran forwards, dodging the punches he tried to hit her with. She ran behind him before back flipping over his head, roundhouse kicking him once she landed. Before he even stopped rolling from the hit she was behind him and kicked him into the air once more. He thought the attack was over as he was falling back to the ground but looked above him to see Star rising higher. She stuck her leg out and began to spin before striking him and sending him crashing into the ground. She then straightened her body out and pointed her fist toward the Sir Bottom shaped hole bringing her whole strength and weight down on him. Leaping back as she waited for the sand to settle she noticed something being waved out of the hole.

It was a little white flag of surrender. Sir Bottom stuck his head out and Star offered him a hand to get out of the hole.

"That was marvellous Princess! I splendid combo I do believe!"

"Let's hope it'll be enough" Star muttered in reply as it dawned on her she would now have to fight Marco.

"My dear, do not let fear dwell on your mind. You have reached the final of this competition and get the chance to share youthful memories with your beloved friend. Rejoice in that moment!" Star looked up with a small smile. It was one of gratitude. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around Sir Bottom.

"Thank you for being my grandpa's friend... He must of been really happy."

"He was the happiest!" He ruffled her hair as the announcer yelled out that the warrior princess would be moving onto the final.

She waved goodbye to Sir Bottom as he headed to a different exit than her and turned to face the final waiting room. She paused briefly breathing in deeply and exhaling before pushing open the door to find Marco sitting waiting for her. He nodded to her but didn't speak any words. She nodded back, happy that he was taking their battle seriously. In their training she had always felt like he was either making it easier for her or not giving his all. She begged many times for him to duel her seriously but his brow would always darken as a grim expression filled his gaze. He would mutter an excuse about not wanting to fight a friend but Star knew there was probably some past reason to his choices. He'd been hurt before, she knew that but didn't want to push the issue.

Star let herself fall into the seat next to him and fixed her blue eyes onto the door. The crowd was probably getting food and preparing for the final. She knew the next fight would be her hardest of the day but did they? Did they understand the weight of what was about to happen? Deep down Star knew Marco was planning to leave but didn't want to admit it but maybe if she could beat him, maybe he wouldn't have to leave. Star knew her train of thought came from a childish mentality but she wanted to believe that if she could beat him then he would understand she could stay by his side no matter what they faced.

Marco on the other hand was hoping that Star would be content with a quick fight, he could hardly take her home to Moon and River all beat up and say it was just a friendly duel. At least that's what he tried to tell himself as he was starting to get excited. His pulse quickened and his palms were sweaty. He controlled his breathing but he was looking forward to this fight. To seeing what Star was really made of. He'd fought against the palace guards and the armies of several worlds but blocking a hit from Star make his bones shake from the force. She was powerful, wild and fought to win. He had several times almost let loose in training and felt her do the same. He couldn't be certain but Star was unconsciously holding back on him. She had a power beyond the wand inside her and he felt it. He'd seen it once when they trained and he almost let loose that her eyes glinted with light and then disappeared. Almost as if something was trying to break free he knew she had something more to give and his fighting spirit wanted to see it. Like the heroes of anime that let their opponent power up to 100% he wanted a no limit fight with her. He breathed out again as Dio's voice filled the coliseum.

 **"BEINGS FROM AROUND THE UNIVERSE, WITNESSES TO LIFE ITSELF! WELCOME TO THE FINAL OF THE STRONGEST WARRIOR TOURNAMENT. WE ARE ABOUT TO BEAR WITNESS TO TWO OF OUR YOUNGEST FINALISTS, OUR REIGNING CHAMP AND HIS UNDER DOG OF A RIVAL. PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR STAR BUTTERFLY, REBEL PRINCESS AND MARCO DIAZ, RED KNIGHT!"** Both looked at the other and nodded before walking to the door. Marco paused before moving his hand to hold Star's. She merely smiled as she understood his intent. _"No matter what happened out there, We're in this together."_ His message conveyed, they walked through the tunnel and out to the cheering audience that awaited them. Marco swung their arms into the air showing that the two fighters were in good spirits. As they reached Dio they let go and walked several paces from one another. They stood straight and bowed to one another. Marco smiled as Star mirrored his form before they both took their stances, once again almost a mirror of each other. Neither moved as the coliseum grew silent waiting for the battle to begin.

There was a slight breeze and a little heat coming from the setting sun above them. The sky had turned crimson red and glowing pink casting the hues and dying their vision with a mirage of colour. Marco thought he'd feel nervous now he faced her but he felt calm, tranquil even as if standing beside her was natural, even in battle. He felt his lips quiver as they began to move into a smile. Star returned the expression as she started to shake with excitement. The tension between them as the hundreds of eyes watched with eager anticipation only served to increase the pressure she felt however she revelled in it. She longed for it as it was a reminder that there were people here other than just the two of them. She watched as his brown eyes turned red as they reflected the sky and saw no hesitation. This was it.

 **"FIGHT!"** Dio yelled at the top of his voice into the audio amplifier. He jumped back to get a much better view of the fight after finally having something good to watch. The other fights had been interesting even the ones without Star and Marco in them. Mephisto and Sir Bottom had crushed the other top contenders with conviction before facing the pair. Sir Bottom had thrown his hat in to help Star move forward and Mephisto wouldn't let go of his resolve to grow stronger in non magical combat and fell to Marco. Had he used magic it was clear Marco would have lost in this contest. The very fact these two in front of him stood opposite each other was the result of many chances going their way and Dio was excited to see what would come of their fortune.

Star remained motionless like her opponent in front of her. He refused to even blink as his crimson form faced against her. She knew he would wait for her to move first unless he was baited closer. She felt the movement of the wind and shifted her head enough that it wasn't noticed but had an effect. Several strands of her golden hair blew in the breeze and covered her blue eyes. Marco moved in the moment rushing forward and swinging his fist towards her. Star shifted her legs back so she was out of reach and grabbed hold of him with his stance. He prepared himself to be thrown when her fist nearly hit his chin. He'd shifted his head at the last moment to dodge her, he had felt how tightly she gripped him and the lack of her body moving and realised she would try something else. She didn't let the miss phase her as she jumped and drop kicked him across the arena.

He didn't fall to the floor as his other arm took most of the blow, however, his arm now shook from the hit. He knew he'd have bruises where she hit him and a few more hits like that could fracture, if not break, his bones. He witnessed as she rushed forward, jumping and unleashing a barrage of kicks at his upper body. He blocked most with his hands which soon started to grow numb forcing him to dodge her assault. He dropped down lowering his centre forcing her to charge at him on ground level. As she ran she began to twirl as if she were a ballerina and kicked him with a greater force than he would have imagined. He managed to reduce the impact of her hit and catch her foot. She tried to kick him to get him to release her but he grabbed her other leg and then fell backwards forcing her body to fly to the floor. She tried to get up but he hadn't let go yet. She found herself crawling on the ground when he started to spin her round and round before throwing her up into the air.

Star felt time slow down as she looked down at him preparing a sharp and decisive strike to end their fight and felt herself grow frustrated. He was still holding back on her.. No.. She wasn't enough to draw him out yet. She knew that. Star wasn't about to let the fight end that way and curled up into a ball before spinning again. She used gravity and her own force to gain speed, not hoping to unleash a hit like last time but to surprise him. She dropped faster than he had anticipated and landed beside him, dropping down she tried to kick him from the back of the legs but he used his arms to push back up and not fall but she'd distracted him enough to land her fist firmly in his face. He moaned loudly as he bounced across the ground from her strike. He stood up quickly and could have sworn he felt his skull rattle from the movement. Looking down he noticed blood dripping from him. He moved his hand to his face and found that his nose was the source of his bleeding. He turned to her as the blood continued to flow. Whether it was a survival instinct at seeing his own blood or the blood rushing to his head he decided to stop holding back any more.

Star couldn't see his blood as he was covering his nose with his hand and wondered if she hit him too hard when she instinctively fell to the right dodging his sharp jabs. She knocked each attack away as it came and found herself thankful for Sir Bottom's teaching as she blocked his advance. The jabs were light and fast, if they hit they might not deal damage but they'd start to stack up. Finally he thrust his fist towards her face making her move her arms to guard. In the few seconds she couldn't see due to her guard he rushed to the side and jumped up. He twisted his whole body forcing his foot straight into her back sending her crashing to the ground again. The moment his foot came into contact with the ground again he sprinted forward and kicked her in the stomach sending her flying into the wall of the arena. Some fans started to boo at Marco but he held firm. He knew it wasn't as clean of an attack as it looked. He hadn't collided with the soft exposed flesh he'd aimed for but the tough and hardened bone of her arms. He'd even noticed her move her body in midair to reduce the impact from his attack and her technique proved effective as she stood up and faced him with a frightening grin.

 _"He's fighting seriously!"_ Star screamed internally as she tied her hair back into a pony tail. She brushed the crushed stone and dirt from her body before walking towards him and taking her stance again. Marco wiped as much blood off his face with his hoodie and threw it to the side. He stood with arms raised to fight as his bloody smile greeted her. Silence resumed between them as the ever darkening arena was suddenly bathed with light. The two looked at each other under the spot lights and could see the damage they had done to each other but neither were swayed. Neither were disheartened and neither would back down.

Star moved first lowering herself and going for a sharp jab to the chin but he knocked his fist into hers deflecting her strike. The force was so sharp he felt as if she had cut his cheek with her attack. Before she could withdraw her fist he grabbed it and tried to twist it against her hoping to force her to admit defeat but she let her body spin around with his force before landing on her feet and shoving her fist straight into his side. Both heard a small crush of bone as his ribs cracked under the pressure and as he let go she quickly kicked his leg forcing him to fall down but he moved swiftly and head butted her using her own movement against her. She wrapped her arms around his head and brought her knee into his face before falling to the ground as he fell the opposite way. They both cradled their heads before forcing themselves back up. Marco's nose had started to pour blood at an alarming rate which was causing his vision to grow faint but his head-butt to Star had cut her soft tissue above her eyes causing her to bleed too and she was fighting to keep blood out of her eyes. One eye hadn't been fortunate and now her vision was half red.

Marco moved first against the pain inside his body and rugby tackled Star to the floor and then once on top of her he tried to punch her lights out only for her to wrap her legs around him and with her herculean strength thrust him forward into the dirt. He pulled himself back and pinned her body down so she couldn't do it again. He thrust forward again but she shifted her whole body as much as she could to dodge and then bit down into his flesh. He cried out in pain cradling his hand as she pushed herself up and head-butted him off of her, returning the favour from before. She noticed him struggling to get to his knees and took the chance to stand up and kick Marco in the face. She put her full force into it which sent him flying into the other wall like she had before. She waited for the dust to settle so didn't notice him get up and jump above her. He bought his foot down on her leg, dislocating it in the attack and forcing her to her knees. The attack brought so much out of him that he fell to his knees too. He tried to stand but felt pain course through him.

Star could barley move as pain overwhelmed her. He always aimed at such vital spots and weaknesses that although she was sure he had more damage about him she felt more pain. She bit into her tongue so hard it drew blood and forced her dislocated joint back in place as her scream escaped her mouth and filled the stadium. She forced herself to her feet, barley able to see but having her daunting suspicion confirmed as she noticed he had risen to his feet again.

Against the best of the castle guard she had barely struggled yet against him she felt like she was fighting for her life. It dawned on Star why Marco enjoyed this place so much. He liked to fight, he had a warriors spirit inside him but if he was fighting to kill the opponent would have been long dead. It was only here and only against her had he had to pull out the strength hidden deep within. She had done it. Only she could.

Star slapped herself in the face, not quite prepared for the pain it would deal to her but she faced him with renewed resolve. She had to be the one to beat him and show him that she was the one to be beside him. An equal.

Marco watched as her glare grew stronger and more focused. She was planning on ending it, ending him. He wanted to smile but his face was hurting so much he could barely move his lips. He would meet her resolve with his own.

Star dug deep, she remembered every moment of her training, every second she had survived and fought to reach this point. Usually she would feel deep into the wand and pull power from it but here she only had herself. Her eyes started to glow and her cheeks shone as she drew her strength from within. Star felt her resolve harden as she thought this strength coursing through her was because she was right about being the one to fight beside him. The blood and dirt that clung to her face hid her glowing features from all but Marco as he faced her glowing eyes with his own. He celebrated internally about being right about her power but knew in this situation, her not being aware of it would work against him.

Regardless of their pain, their hurt or their feelings they ran towards each other, both abandoning defences and striking each other in the cheek. Both stood firm against the strike not falling as they mirrored each other trading blows. They struck each other again and again, never flinching and never falling, knowing that if they fell it would be the end.

Marco felt his eyes grow dizzy and his body faint as he moved out of reach of her punch but landing one on her. She started to fall back from the added momentum of him falling but grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her. She used her modified use of his technique to bring her fist into his chin and finally connecting the hit, heard the sound as his jaw dislocated. She felt his feet lift from the ground but didn't let go as they both fell into one another. On their knees they leant against each other supporting the other from falling.

"We drew?" Star managed to whisper through the pain. She couldn't move and thought he couldn't either so realised the battle was over.

"No." Was all Marco managed to say before falling to the ground unconscious. Star felt her vision fading as cries of victory rang out around her. She wasn't sure what was being said but her victory was being announced as her world went black and she fell down beside Marco.

First Aiders rushed forwards and bundled the pair onto stretchers as their bodies were carted away from the bloody mess they left the stadium in. Their minds at peace after their battle and they rested.

To all who watched, who know the pair and those who didn't, it was one of the greatest battles they had ever witnessed. Two fighters who understood each other so well and fought with all they had. The walls of the arena were cracked from their bodies, the ground littered with chunks dislodged and almost painted with blood that seemed to show the picture of their movements. More blood meant greater attacks and the droplets that seemed to be scattered between the larger amounts served to show the movement between them. It was to be remembered as both one of the most amazing battles and one of the most violent to watch. It was known to everyone that the two knew each other and cared about each other and to fight like that meant a lot to the warriors in the Festival Dimension. To see two who walked life together put emotions and memories aside and grace them all with a battle so grand reminded each of them how beautiful and how magical fighting could be. To many the tournament was a sport, a fun hurdle or challenge to try once in a lifetime. To others a serious test of skill and training. A bridge between killers and the innocent, a miracle for one day that united all the hard headed, battle veterans that walked the many dimensions of the universe and in that moment as the two contenders who entered holding each other ended their fight presses against one another they felt the spark light up within. Unbeknown to them both, Marco and Star had gained fans, admirers, rivals and the respect of many heroes, villains and those in-between. The two unconscious finalists, both winners in the eyes of all who watched.

/

Light flooded in again as Marco opened his eyes. His wounds were healed and his body no longer hurt but fatigue plagued him. He could barely move due to how tired he was. From what he could feel he could tell he was in a bed in the med bay. He turned his head to see Star looking at him expressionless.

"Hey.." He spoke. She flinched as she hadn't noticed him wake up and had been staring almost through him deep in thought.

"Hi.." She didn't know what to say, what was right to say in these circumstances.

"How could you-?.." Marco asked as fear consumed Star. She knew she had gone too far but didn't want to admit it. She felt like being eaten up by the bed and hiding from view when he kept speaking.

"-hide all those amazing skills from me!? You were amazing! Like thunder and lightening crashing across the battlefield. I could hardly keep up with you and those moves you pulled i struggled to dodge and fight back. How much have you been going easy on me in training?" Marco asked out loud as Star burst out laughing from his comment. She wiped a tear from her eye as he raised his eyebrow inquisitively.

"...I was thinking the exact same thing! You were so quick and so much stronger than i could have imagined. I had to make up half of what i did moving on pure instinct to get away. When you pinned me down or when you dislocated my leg.. I felt like a trapped animal and used everything id learnt throughout my life to fight back... I've never fought like that before.. It was incredible.. You were incredible!" She started to laugh again and as her words sunk in. Marco couldn't help himself but join in. They both lay there laughing in bed at how amazing they both were.

After a while Marco stopped laughing and reached into his bag. He pulled out a small wooden box and threw it over to Star's bed.

"I wanted to wait to give this to you... It was something your Grandfather left you.." Marco explained. Star opened the box and looked at it's contents. It was a small but beautifully carved necklace. The main pendant seemed to be a butterfly that had stars on it's wings. The wood used was part of a special species of tree that had luminous like resin and her Grandfather had used the resin to make the stars on it glow. It was elegant and beautiful... Star felt so much coming from this one necklace to the point it over whelmed her. Her Grandfather had wanted to remind her of the story from all those years ago. Of how she was her own butterfly, Star Butterfly.

"It's beautiful.." Star looked up as Marco spoke looking over with a smile.

"Yeah, it is.. Thank you so much for today Marco.. It means everything to me." Marco smiled in response.

"Oh really? Well shucks, I'm not sure where we are going for our next adventure but I don't know if anything will be this then." Marco teased with a smile. Star laughed with him before sliding her necklace onto herself.

"Well, personally, I can't wait for our next adventure. Although I think maybe we should pick one where we won't end up as beaten up!" Star started laughing again looking at how tired Marco seemed. He couldn't help but laugh alongside her.

Just outside Sir Bottom, Mephi, Dio, the warrior Star fought and Zar all breathed a sigh of relief as their laughter echoed throughout the halls. Zar walked back to the entrance to the coliseum and pulled out a knife. After a few minutes he stood back and admired his handiwork.

Star Butterfly - 1st Place

Marco Diaz - 2nd Place.

Zar looked back to the door to the med bay and left with a smile. They would both be just fine.


	7. Chapter 7 - Encrypted Riddles

**Legacy Of Loneliness#7**

 **A/N: Thank you to all who read and reviewed :) We always look forward to your responses. If you have any questions feel free to message myself or Mr Black Cat or leave a review and let us know what you thought!**

* * *

 **Encrypted Riddles**

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 001. Task given is to find traces of possible survivors of the end. Description of adult male has turned up no results from other teams. Investigating additional rumors of a child who may hold the technology we seek. I'll look into these leads and report back soon. Hunter Out."*_

An almost silent ticking sound emanating from a small magical clock on the wall was the only noise to be heard in the breakfast hall. The guards stood firm, afraid to be the ones to break the silence. Star had her eyes fixated onto the clock and let out a long deep sigh.

"Star... I don't think he's coming" Moon broke the silence with a calm voice. She and River had waited along with Star for Marco to come join them at breakfast. Her voice was strained from how tired she felt. Star had kept her awake until the early hours of the morning recounting their adventure back to her. Moon was happy that her daughter was being more open and honest about her life and had set aside her reservations about the two being in an death match-esque situation. Moon was truly happy. Her hopes of Marco being willing to accept her aid and confide in her seemed so much closer with how he was letting Star know more about his life. Yet here they sat, painfully aware of his absence in the room.

"Maybe he doesn't know when breakfast is pumpkin? After all he never has come to it before?" River offered hopefully but a quick shake of Manfred's head let him know this wasn't true. Star let her head fall onto the table with her head weighed down with troublesome thoughts.

"He knows.. He just doesn't want to come. Just when I think we make a break through and we can finally spend more time together he stays hidden in that room. I just want to go up there and drag him down here myself.." Star moaned.

"Well, why don't you?" Star shot up as the question came from both her parents in unison. They chuckled and then looked at Star's confused face.

"I know I'm usually the first to preach about how you need to be more withdrawn and princess like but why don't you go get him? It's what the Star I know would do. Maybe all Marco needs is a little more encouragement?" Moon proposed and gestured for River to continue.

"That's right! What man doesn't admire a woman with gusto and courage! I mean.. Maybe he just needs a more forward invitation my darling." Star stared at them suspiciously and had a quick debate in her mind.

 _"...This seems suspicious.. Maybe we should just eat without him?"_

 _"Why? Mum and Dad are both saying that we should just do it! Why don't we!"_

 _"But they never encourage me to do anything like that? Like seriously, that time when Pony Head said she couldn't come to my party so I invaded the Pony Head Kingdom to get her only to find out she was ill... I was grounded for sooooo long."_

 _"But this isn't Pony Head. It's MARCO! They like Marco. May as well take advantage of them being on side for once."_

 _"True... They don't often encourage bad behaviour..."_

 _"EXACTLY! Now get moving Princess!"_

 _"Will do Princess!"_ Star nodded to her parents before excusing herself from the table politely and walking slowly to the door. The moment it was closed the people remaining inside could hear the scuff sounds of her beginning to sprint. Manfred smiled while hiding it from the royals. He rather enjoyed Star's new attempts to behave rather than the mess he witnessed in the now called 'Pre-Marco Era'. Unknown to Star and the others, the castle staff and the townsfolk had taken to considering Marco's coming like a blessing from the gods. The days without incidents had reached double figures. An occurrence not seen in the Butterfly Kingdom in over a decade.

"River.. What are you thinking?" Moon raised an eyebrow to her husband who began to shift uncomfortably.

"Whatever do you mean Moonpie?" Came a rather awful attempt at playing ignorant.

"I mean.. It seems like you think our daughter should be looking to gain Marco's favor.. Almost like you have given him your blessing?" Moon felt a small smile appear on her face but hid it as she wanted to tease him.

"Blessing!? Don't be silly! Any man who wants my blessing will earn it in a fight to the death.. I merely feel like maybe the boy might be worth a fight is all." River paused and then decided to change the subject.

"So what's the plan for our anniversary anyway my dear?"

"Hmm Well I think we'll discuss that when the children return. I wonder how its going with Star?"

"A good suggestion my dear, hopefully they won't cause too much fuss. Although I wouldn't put it past our Star to drag him here by force."

"That would be a sight to see!"

"Wouldn't it!" The two royals chuckled and looked towards the ceiling as if hoping to send their good luck to their daughter.

Star, on the other hand, had reached Marco's door and was now pacing back and forth unsure of what to say.

 _"Just say its time for breakfast and tell him he has to come!"_

 _"But I don't want him to HAVE to come.. I want him to WANT to come.."_

 _"Well go make him WANT to come! Come on Star! You said you'd make it so he didn't want to be without you.. Yet here he is so content with being in his room that he isn't seeing you?"_

 _"…"_

 _"What are you waiting for?"_

 _"…nothing."_ Star kicked the door open and burst into his room. She suddenly was blinded by a bright light and fell into a table knocking over the stuff on top of it. Marco put down his welding torch and looked up to see what the noise was. He walked over and lifted a rag off of Star's head.

"Sup Star?" He asked casually. He didn't get an immediate response as her eyes were captivated elsewhere. He felt his face grow redder as he realized he wasn't wearing a top and she was now staring at his developing abs. He quickly threw the rag back on her and pulled on a top. Star lifted it up to see him dressed and started to pout in disappointment.

"So what brings you here this late Star?" Marco asked with a smile and a groggy voice. He lifted up his goggles and revealed that he had bags under his eyes from a lack of sleep.

"Late?.. Marco its time for breakfast?" Star asked confused. All of her gusto had been swept away already.

"What are you saying?" Marco chuckled before looking at his clock. He tapped it and realized the device had stopped working. He groaned loudly before getting dressed and heading to the door.

"Well are you coming? I mean its bad enough I'm late but if I were to arrive without you it would be really rude." Marco questioned.

"Wait? You were planning on coming to breakfast today?" Marco seemed caught off guard from her question and rubbed the back of his head. He looked up almost vulnerable and replied.

"Is that not okay? I mean… I think it's about time I stop hiding away in here after all.." Marco's usual confidence was totally missing as a bright smiled appeared on Stars face.

 _"Looks like we made progress after all.."_

 _"That we did… and the abs were nice too.."_

 _"Weren't they!"_

"Erm Star?"

"Oh yeah! Of course! I came here to get you after all as I was thinking the same thing. Let's get going!" Star rushed to the door and grabbed his hand, she started to run through the castle filled with delight. Marco was forced to make a conscious effort again to contain her carnage, catching things she knocked over and making her slow down at crucial moments before they arrived in the breakfast room. Star bounced over and sat down with a big grin to her parents. Marco greeted the servants and then the pair before sitting.

"Lovely to see you my boy! Looks like you had a fight with the wardrobe beast!" River chuckled pointing at the tag sticking out of Marco's front. He had put his top on backwards. He slid his arms out and put it straight before laughing along with River.

"Yeah I lost track of time and had to rush. I'm really sorry for being late, I was actually planning on being early today to surprise you all" Marco chuckled again. The news of his intent pleased both Moon and River who beamed a grin back at Star for the news.

"So Marco. It seems like you haven't slept yet? What kept you up?" Moon asked as they started to eat. It was clear from his baggy eyes and his unusually untidy hair that he had been awake for a long time.

"He was working on something that was super bright when I walked in! I actually fell over as it was so bright!" Star exclaimed which got River to be more interested in the conversation than in his food.

"A blinding light? What were you working on my boy!"

"Honestly.. It's a surprise.. So I can't tell you at the moment but I can show you something else." Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black colored ring. He passed it to Star who slid it on and watched as the colour changed to dark green, to blue and finally resting on pink.

"Wow Marco what is this!?" Star asked happily.

"It's a mood ring. It changes colour based on how you feel. Well its more based on body temperature and is sort of a novelty but it was really popular when I was a kid. The dark green showed you were curious and interested. The blue showed you were feeling a little excited and happy and finally the pink showed you were happy and relaxed." Star's eyes seemed to light up with joy.

"So wait.. I will be able to tell how people are feeling!" Star asked eagerly.

"Well.. Yeah close enough" Marco figured it would be safe just to let her assume they were accurate. He taught her what all the colours meant and watched as she ran over to her father and got him to try it on.

"I see.. Yellowish-Orange.. To dark green and finally red.. You were confused but then curious and finally you are excited!" Star decoded the meanings and relayed them to her father.

"Incredible my dear! What fine magic this is!" River declared as the ring changed between colours of excitement and curiosity.

"Actually my dear.. I don't believe it is magic at all.. Isn't that right Marco?" Moon said with a smile. Marco didn't need to mood ring to tell she was very curious about it.

"You're right. I took a hollowed out piece of quartz and filled it with a thermotropic liquid before fixing it to a ring. The crystals in the liquid react to heat and change colour thanks to that." Star and River looked confused and turned back to the ring, they were trying to force it to change colour. Moon, however, was fascinated by the explanation and made note to ask more later on. By now they had finished eating and the servants were clearing the table quickly. They had to rush otherwise Marco would try to help and with him would be Star.

"I actually had a favour to ask of you?" Marco suddenly said to Moon. She nodded for him to continue.

"I need to get one final part to finish the surprise I mentioned but they don't sell it in the kingdom. I wanted to pop over to Quest Buy to get it. I figured I should ask as technically I do work for you and thought I should ask for the time off." Moon pondered his words for a moment before replying.

"Of course you can go! I just expect both of you to be safe while you are there. Quest Buy has a lot of dangerous stuff inside."

"Thank you.. But both of us?"

"Well Star's going too right?" Moon asked as matter of fact as she could. Manfred chuckled realising that Queen Moon had begun enjoying teasing Marco and Star.

"Well I wasn't sure if you'd allow her too after the last adventure.." Marco admitted. Moon was glad he was aware that death matches were not on her list of approved activities but knew there was no way Star was going to stay behind.

"It'll be fine Marco, I have a lot of confidence in you two and since you are both keeping me informed I can trust you'll behave. Plus I believe Star has need of visiting Quest Buy herself." Marco turned to Star who held her wand up and shook it.

"Need to get a new magic charger. I may have found the battery but it'll run out again and I don't want it to be like last time. When you needed me to help but I couldn't." Marco nodded in response as he didn't want to bring up any more memories of Monster Arm. Realising what she was talking about Moon moved her hand to her throat almost as if she was trying to allow herself more air. Marco noticed, Moon had been traumatised by the attack but was hiding it well.

"In that case lets finish up here and get going!" Marco said with a smile. Star grabbed his hand quickly.

"Sorry to say this Marco… but we're not going anywhere until you get a wash. You smellllllll!" Marco sniffed himself and realised she was right. He had started working on his project the moment he got home and hadn't taken a break at all. His face flushed red and he excused himself.

"Thanks Mum" Moon looked over to Star as she was still facing the door.

"It's okay my dear.." She replied with a smile. Star looked back at her hand and the ring, she had pushed it against Marco's skin. It was quick so he didn't notice but the colour had changed in a flash.

 _"Grey and Dark red.. Fear and anger.. Why are you feeling these Marco..?"_

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 027. After following the leads through towns I have run into a dead end. Detection of dimension travel is positive so it seems the target subject has moved to another area. It seems the boy is young but cannot get a positive ID. Witnesses report he seemed strange and unhinged. Some offered him aid and others avoided him. Possible connection to the 'chosen one' is unclear. Nothing more to report. Hunter Out.*_

"Come on Marco! Seriously it doesn't matter if your hair isn't perfect!?" Star groaned as she sat on his bed waiting for him. She had never really seen his morning routine since he was the one to come wake her up but it seemed he spent a fair amount of time making sure his hair was perfect. An interesting addition to the Marco Quirks section of her diary but a rather disadvantageous trait when one wanted to adventure.

"I'm almost done now Star... And... There got it!" Marco turned and showed that he had indeed restored his usual immaculate image. Star started to clap for him before pointing at his scissors. Marco chuckled, he had come to find her impatience to be cute. He spent most of his time trying to think about only what was necessary whereas Star let herself live in the moment. She lived to feel everything and express it. Which happened to show clearly on her face. He grabbed his bag and cut open a portal before they jumped through.

The pair stepped out by the entrance and let the confusing and overbearing scenery fill their vision.

"You know, no matter how many times I come here this place doesn't seem to get any easier to find stuff but I got to say I am pretty good so lets follow my lead!" Star exclaimed before trying to walk off. Her march was halted by Marco grabbing onto her wrist. He flushed a little red when she turned round and apologised for doing it so suddenly.

"Come over here quickly." Star followed him to the complex wall that was meant to be the instructions of Quest Buy. He pulled out a large sheet of paper and put it on the ground.

"What's that?"

"It's the key to deciphering these instructions. I worked it out last time i was here and finally have a chance to put it into practice."

"What! But that was just a legend! It said that the founders had put a cryptic system in place but no ones ever been able to decipher it. Some have even gone mad... Like that guy!" Star pointed to a goblin that seemed convinced he'd worked it out and ended up running into a wall due to it. Marco chuckled before sitting down on the floor, Star joining him slightly after.

"Look here. I'll show you exactly how I worked it out." The pair began to talk about the glyphs and images, Marco pointing to subtle clues that he solved and Star actually following what he was saying. Sometimes Marco would pause long enough to let Star figure out the next part by herself and he'd congratulated her for it. She knew he was just trying to make her feel good about herself but it was working.

They may have spent a few minutes or even a few hours on that cold stone floor but Star was happy. She watched carefully how much joy decoding the system had made him. He'd even told her a story of his failure when he first thought he worked it out. Star was surprised to learn that Marco had failed quite a few times before getting it right. She had always envisioned that he could do anything almost instantly but it was clear, and becoming more so, that for every talent he had and every wonder he performed he had put his blood, sweat and tears into it... And from the sounds of the time he got locked in the trap department he may have left some there too.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 103. All possible leads have led to dead ends. This short mission has turned into a long term one and I want my pay to reflect that. Target seems to be aware of either myself or another after him. Never staying too long in any place or time. I still remain unable to get a positive ID. I've taken to torturing people to loosen their tongues but still nothing. The subject seems to make an impression but also none. Key feature seems to still remain a Red hooded jacket. Nothing more this time. Hunter out."*_

Elsewhere in Quest Buy, a rather loud small bird was banging his skull against a wall.

"Hey, Boss, you sure you don't want this dress?"

"Please let me get this!"

"You'd look really cute boss!"

"Girafro would actually help me out with my pea-cocking boss!"

"Sorry, that's not my department."

"I think we should get it boss!"

Ludo groaned even louder before opening a portal.

"Put everything back into the cart and get into the portal! I'll do the shopping myself! I'm only here for a magical beak groomer. It keeps the tip sharp while brightening my smile!" Ludo let out a frankly disturbing grin before banishing all the monsters back to their lair.

"Oh and tell Buff Frog I'll need his help to carry the shopping back!" Ludo called through the portal before beginning to wander through Quest Buy.

"Sir, You forgot your cart?" The Sloth clerk slowly told him. Ludo turned and grinned again.

"Sorry, that's not in my department." Ludo chuckled and walked away leaving the clerk groaning about having to put the stuff back.

"Now... How can I find my way around here?" Ludo thought so hard about he felt like his brain mind explode before remembering there was a key to the system at the entrance.

"And that concludes it!" Marco grinned as Star's eyes shinned brightly.

"That's amazing! You could literally open a shop selling this map and it would sell out in a day!" Star helped up the paper with wonder filling her. She paused and turned to him.

"Marco..."

"Yes Star?" Noticing the tone she usually uses to ask for something.

"Do you think you could wait here and let me go get it by myself?" She asked with a shy smile. He was a bit taken back by her request.

"Sure... I don't mind but why alone?"

"I guess I just want to prove that I can follow this. You've taught me so much and I really just want to show that I'm listening."

"Star I know that you're listening and learning. You'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see how amazing you are becoming. After all you are the Strongest Warrior" Marco winked at her which made her chuckle.

"Thanks... Well I'm going to go get it now. If you want to go get your surprise part then I'll wait here if you aren't back when I get here but if not we can go together." Star gave him a quick hug before rushing off with the map in tow.

Marco chuckled before turning back to the key. All he needed now was a concentrated light source, one that changed colour would be good too. Strolling down the list he found the perfect item for him. A miniature fake star. A magical glowing rock that if you throw it into the sky it floats like a star.

He was trying to decide whether to quickly go without her or wait when he felt a small tug to his leg. He looked down to see a small bird person holding onto his trousers. The bird-person himself wasn't exactly pleasant to the eye and seemed to be wearing a skull on its head. However it was hardly the strangest person Marco had ever met and decided to speak up.

"Hey there?" Marco asked.

"Greetings, You seem to have some understanding of this key?" The small bird questioned politely. Marco felt like he recognised the voice but couldn't remember why.

"Yes I do, What are you looking for?"

"A beak trimmer."

"Hmm... From what I can see they aren't too far away but the path is a little confusing. I can show you if you want?" Marco decided he'd wait for Star to get the last part and pass time with this bird instead.

"Yes that would be much appreciated." Ludo looked up and properly saw the boy for the first time. He felt like he had seen this particular child before but just couldn't remember why. Ludo had tried hard to be polite and remember the annoying lessons his mother had insisted he learnt. If his monsters were here he might have acted arrogantly but deep down he knew the right way to ask for things when not needing to uphold an image.

"So what model are you going for?" Marco asked trying to make conversation as they walked.

"The Beak 'N' Trim. It's a fine model that will really bring out the shine in my beak." Ludo said confidently.

"That's cool. I wouldn't really have ever gone down this isle since I'm not a bird-man but it'll be interesting to see what's down there." Ludo looked up at the boy as they walked. He had been hesitant to ask what he suspected was a Mewman for help but was surprised by how friendly the child was being. It had been his experience that Mewman children would bully small monsters like himself.

"You're different, aren't you?" Ludo said out loud before cupping his beak. Marco froze and turned to him with a pained expression. "What did this bird know...? Why did he recognise him?"

"What do you mean?" Marco tried to act like it didn't bother him and continued the conversation.

"Well most Mewmans wouldn't go out of their way to help a monster."

"Well I guess you could say I'm different then, I don't really see the problem with helping someone else. No matter what they look like." Marco replied.

"Well when I take over the world I will make you the person in charge of the Mewmans." Ludo declared proudly. Marco paused. He recognised this. He was trying to place him when he thought of a question.

"So how is getting the royal wand going?"

"Not very good. Star Butterfly continues to hide in her castle. I had heard rumours she was going to be transferred to St O's but now we just need to get stronger to beat her." Looking up one last time, Ludo saw Marco's expression change from realisation to anger. He grabbed the bird by his feathers and pinned him to the wall. Marco's mind flashed back to the rain and the blood that he saw that night, the voice he heard in the darkness calling out his friend and the intent he faced there.

"It's you! You're the little creep that attacked us with those monsters that night!" Ludo through the pain of being slammed into a wall thought about that night and remembered the boy the Princess was protecting. The boy in red who she ignored him to talk to and who hid behind his magic shield.

"IT'S YOU! Cowardly boy!" Ludo yelled as Marco tightened his grip.

"Coward!? Me!? Your the creep that keeps trying to hurt a little girl! What the hell is even wrong with you! You're pathetic." Marco threw him to the ground and went to storm off when he felt Ludo's fists bashing into his leg.

"I AM NOT PATHETIC! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" Ludo screamed. Marco went to ignore him when the bird threw a glass at him from a nearby shelf. Marco dodged with ease before turning back to him.

"Don't do that. Don't dare do that again you little pest!" Marco gritted his teeth. Every impulse inside him was telling him one thing. 'This is Star's enemy. He must be gotten rid of'. Marco was ignoring this as he was trying to be a better person for her.

"I am not a pest and I am not pathetic. What would you know!"

"Well tell me then! Go on! Tell me what justifies hunting down an innocent girl and ruining her life!?"

"Innocent! Innocent! Are you deranged! Her whole family's rule is based on the slaughter of the innocent!" Ludo yelled back. Marco continued to wait, allowing the bird to say his piece. Ludo noticed and was shocked to realise that the boy would actually listen to him. He quickly ran to another isle and dragged back two stools for them to sit on. Once they were sat and ready Marco gestured for him to carry on.

"Monster kind are the victims. We are hunted and our whole race is hated. My parents used to be royals in their own right in the old monster kingdoms before the Mewmans hunted us. Their so called Mewnipendence day is nothing but a glorified lie to cover up their massacre. You have no idea what it's like to be on the run, to never be able to trust people as you're not sure who you can trust anymore. I was lucky that my family had a deal with the Butterflies. We aren't hunted like the others. It was for my monsters that I started this fight. I want them to live in a world where they can be happy, have families and see tomorrow as a better day. Is that so wrong?" Ludo asked as Marco looked troubled. His research into the kingdom had led him to believe that the Mewnipendence was fabricated history. He knew there was a shift that led the Underworld Kingdom to unite with the Butterfly Kingdom and declare Monster kind their enemies. He wasn't even really sure what the big difference was between demons and monsters.

He had come up with some theories including the cause being either the Queen of Darkness or the paranoia of the Queen of Hours. Either way he had come to doubt many of the things in the royal history books, knowing it was easy for the victor to paint history in their colours.

"Why don't you tell me everything?" Marco asked as Ludo smiled. Someone was finally listening to him, to a monster.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 261. I grow tired of this game. No new leads for an extended period of time. It has now been 6 months with no trace of the target. I have run up all previous leads but it seems the trail runs cold. Speculation leads me to believe he has either perished, found a way to elude us for good or finally ran out of luck. I heard telling of an illegal slave trade in the area. Shall investigate as a final effort. Looking forward to this being over. Hunter Out."*_

Meanwhile Star stood in front of a Sphinx that blocked her way.

"So I just have to answer a riddle?" Star asked excitedly. Her journey so far had been going correctly and she was enjoying herself.

"Yes, Those who wish to pass my lair, answer my riddles if you dare!  
I do not breathe, but I run and jump.  
I do not eat, but I swim and stretch.  
I do not drink, but I sleep and stand.  
I do not think, but I grow and play.  
I do not see, but you see me every day.  
What am I?"

Star thought about the riddle and let her inner thoughts debate the issue.

 _"Okay Princess, what we thinking?"_

 _"I'm not really sure at this point. If it can grow it has to be alive... But to not eat or drink or breathe... It's confusing."_

 _"Cruds... I was hoping you would have the answer!"_

 _"Don't look at me I'm you!"_

 _"I know your me, from my head to my feet you are me!"_

 _"Wait! You're a genius!"_

 _"Oh you... Wait.. Oh me.."_

 _"No seriously. Think about it! You see it everyday, it has to be something that the Sphinx will know you will see everyday but if the riddle is the same for everyone how can that be?"_

 _"It would have to be something... On you?"_

 _"Exactly, what is on you that can jump and stand?"_

 _"Well.. My legs?"_

 _"Exactly and what can also fall asleep and be super duper annoying?"_

 _"LEGS!"_

 _"You got it princess."_

 _"Thanks again Princess!"_

"Erm Miss Sphinx?" Star called up to it. The Riddle Sphinx looked down at her.

"Yes child?"

"Is the answer to the riddle Legs?" The sphinx smiled at her guess and opened her paws revealing the way.

"Correct child, go forth."

"Thank you Miss Sphinx!" Star ran up and hugged the Riddler's paw before skipping through the passage.

"You see that skeleton door!" Sphinx chuckled before closing the passage way once more.

Star skipped through until she came to an elevator and rode it all the way to the top. She walks carefree over to the wand department before pulling out her map.

"So Marco said if I apply this part of the key to the contents wall over there it'll tell me exactly where it is. Hmm let me see." Star sat down again and started to decode the new wall. She was feeling proud of herself when she found the answer and climbed the ladder to the top shelf and found her charger.

"He's going to be so proud of me." Star exclaimed before skipping over to the on floor sales desk.

"Hey I'd like to purchase this wand charger please!" Star said with a smile. The desk sloth looked up at her before picking up a phone and dialling a number. After a short exchange that puzzled Star the sloth ran through her purchase.

"Why did you call someone when I came here?"

"You are on our 'watch list'. Your mother requested that we check all purchases through her before allowing you to use the royal account after the time you brought the laughing powder to 'cheer up the kingdom' and ended up driving twenty seven people insane with laughter." Star wanted to retort but merely nodded and walked away. She had forgotten that incident and was glad Marco wasn't around to hear that story.

"Let's go find Marco!" Star said pressing the thought to the back of her mind and rushing back to the elevator.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 262. Large Update. It seems the target was here. I have captured the previous owner of the compound which is now deserted. Seems like there was some kind of revolt and he escaped. Detection of Dimensional Travel is positive. I believe he may have stolen a pair of scissors from a individual in the past which is how he was avoiding me. Torture of the Warden seems to reveal that he does indeed possess what we seek. Blood samples from the subjects own torture reveal he is indeed the one we seek. My own speculation leads me to believe that the original target may be this survivors blood relative. More evidence is required. However, He does have it and now we will have him. This hunt has new life to it and so do I. I will find him and finish what we started. Hunter Out.*_

 _Additional Note: Warden did not survive the process, I have disposed of the body to cover up our movements. It will appear as if he vanished after the event but I will leave a few breadcrumbs to avoid suspicion. Scum vanishes all the time. Hunter Out.*_

Marco reached up and took the Miniature Star from the shelf. He looked down at Ludo who had been silent since they had found his beak trimmer.

"You don't have to be so quiet." Marco stated.

"Sorry... I just never imagined that you'd really listen and understand us."

"Well I'm not 100% sure I believe you yet and I will check with Moon to find out the truth but as I told you I don't see monsters as enemies."

"But why? How? What makes you so different that you'd actually listen to me?" Ludo knew he should be happy with just the result but he was beyond curious as to what would make a Mewman listen to him when none had done so before. Ludo was honestly scared of the boy after he had grabbed him before. He thought him a coward that hid behind the Princess but got the feeling that on the night they met they were being protected by Star rather than her protecting him.

"I'm not mew.. I'm not like other Mewmans, I haven't had such a treasured past that I could afford to take sides and be judgemental. Life was never easy and its not going to get any better any time soon. I survived by doing what I needed to and some of them times I've joined forces with monsters, demons and much much more. I'm not picky, if it helps me survive I'll deal with anything. I never really got the whole Mewman and Monster drama. You are a person and so am I and as long as you aren't out to harm me or those I care about we can get on." Marco almost let slip his secret, it seems like being open for Star could have negative consequences. Ludo listened carefully and let his beady eyes really look at the boy. He could see the edges of scars poking out of every extremity, his hands were worn and his body toned. This wasn't another spoilt brat this was someone who had seen the world and grown for it.

"But I'm someone whose whole purpose is to rob Star Butterfly of her wand and rule over Mewni? Aren't I one of those people out to hurt what you care for?"

"Have you hurt her yet?" Marco asked with a small smile. He thought about how much Star had grown since their last encounter with Ludo and wondered how badly she'd kick their butts if she saw them now.

"Hurt? Well no... Maybe a slight annoyance and inconvenience. From our intel we suspected the Princess would be sent to a boarding school for wayward princess'. The plan was to either attack her on her arrival or when she was inside. Though that would probably be preferable to what she'd face inside that school."

"That's actually my fault. She was meant to be sent to St O's but instead her parents hired me to be her guardian and lead her in a better direction. So far it seems she is doing amazing. But what do you mean about the school?"

"So you're why she was so strong before! I mean we knew Star Butterfly was strong but to be that gifted magically was a big surprise." Ludo rubbed his beak which was still sore from when she threw the rock at him. The whole reason they were here for the beak trimmer was because his beak still didn't feel right from that day.

"And in regards to St O's there are rumours that the place is nothing but a brainwashing facility. They are 'taught' how to be proper Princesses but in reality its just a way to keep the status quo. There are no young royals changing anything because any that hold individual thoughts have them brainwashed out of them. Plus the place just feels wrong."

"Then I'm really glad that i decided to stick around... I wouldn't want to find out the amazing girl I'd met turned into some puppet for an oppressive system"

"It doesn't matter... Star Butterfly will end up like her mother and her grandmother before that. A Monster hunter, only caring for the people whose blood she shares." Ludo let his head fall, he knew he had to win if there was to be any hope for his kind.

"Maybe your wrong Ludo." Ludo looked up at Marco, he waited to hear what he had to say like Marco had done for him. Marco smile and knelt down to be closer to him.

"I was once a slave, someone who had everything taken from him. I have suffered at the hands of more races than you could count on those claws or talons of yours. I have seen more darkness in this life than I would ever care to confess. I don't want to go on but trust me... I know hardship and I thought Mewni was going to be just like all those other places when I saw people going through similar pain as me.. But Star changed that thought for me... Do you want to know what she said?" Marco asked as Ludo listened carefully he nodded his little head with his yellow eyes looking deeply into Marco's.

"Mewni is different... Or it can be." Ludo paused as Marco let the words sink in.

"She said that this place can be different. I know at the moment she still goes full warrior when she sees you but since you are attacking her regularly you can hardly blame her. Given time and the right amount of freedom I think Star will see the wrong in Mewni you so want to correct. Give her the chance to be the ruler Mewni needs rather than pushing her into a path where she's the one that the Mewman's of old want."

"I can't..." Ludo whispered back.

"I can't just give up on all the promises I made to them. I promised them that I would take the power that has abused us for so long and guide them into a future where we had the power. How am i suppose to go back and say 'oh well, looks like it'll sort itself out one day." Ludo felt his voice mixed with anger and fear. Anger that the very idea of peace was that easy to achieve and fear that he found Marco's words so appealing.

"Don't then, just when a time comes that you can yourself see that she is the one who will guide Mewni into the future and be the answer to these problems... Help her do so. She will need the help of a monster who other monsters listen to and I think that's you."

Ludo stopped looking at him and then instead looked at his own claws. He wanted to correct Marco when he called him a bird person since his species were technically Kappas but didn't really feel like now was the time to go into deeper ancestral debates. He needed to be the one who helped the monsters and if what Marco said was true or possible then it can be.

"So you want me to keep up a charade of trying to steal a wand I'll never get.. On the chance that she will end up changing?" Ludo asked genuinely seeking answers. He watched as Marco seemed to notice something then smile.

"Yes, now I'm going to need you to start pretending as she's about to get here and I want to show you what I mean." Marco quickly pulled a vial out of his bag and poured it on Ludo. Ludo looked down to see that it looked like he was bleeding. The fake blood got into his beak so he sneezed it out but swallowed some causing him to cough. Suddenly Marco picked him up again by his rags.

"If i see you again you little rat I'll end you." Marco snarled at him. Fear filled Ludo until he noticed the boy wink at him. Behind Marco, Ludo watched Star turn the corner and gasp at what she saw. He realised that from her view she just walked into her friend holding a bloody Ludo by his throat. Marco threw Ludo into a shelf filled with empty boxes which they noticed earlier. He didn't take any damaged from the cushioned fall but fell to the ground coughing the fake blood up. Marco went to walk up to him again when Star wrapped her arms around him.

"MARCO STOP! I don't know what he said or did but he is harmless. Don't hurt him anymore. I'm sorry I shouldn't have gone alone! Leave Ludo alone please." Ludo's eyes opened wide as he watched the Princess beg her friend to spare him. To him it would be a prime moment to end his enemy but to her she just wanted it to stop.

"Please Marco..." Her voice was quieter and even wavered a little. The sight of someone bloody by his hand had affected Star quite badly. She was taken back to that night at the sight of Ludo and the blood.

"Ludo go home!" Star called over to him. Ludo stood up and shook off most of the blood. He tore open a portal and turned to the pair.

"We'll meet again Star Butterfly and..." Ludo paused suggestively as Marco face palmed. He picked up the beak trimmer and called out to him.

"Marco Diaz and don't you forget it" Before throwing the beak trimmer at Ludo as he disappeared into his portal. It closed leaving the two standing there in silence. Star sniffed the blood that had splashed onto Marco and then licked it.

"Wait? This is just red food colouring?" Star said confused backing away from Marco. He turned to her confused.

"How do you know what that tastes like?" She paused and looked shifty.

"No reason... Anyway want to fill me in on the deets of what just happened!?" Star evaded the question with one of her own when Marco invited her to sit in the stools that he and Ludo had brought with them.

"He asked me to help him find the beak trimmer before we recognised each other. I threatened him trying to get him to go away but he wouldn't so I went to leave and he jumped at me. My bag was open and a vial of food colouring poured on him and I picked him up and tried to threaten him again when you came by." Marco explained hoping she would buy his version of events.

"Wait.. You threw the beak trimmer after him though?" Marco was surprised she had noticed such a minor detail so embellished his story.

"Well he may be a bad guy but there's nothing worse than going to the shop and coming back empty handed." He tried to lie with a straight face. At first he thought she hadn't brought it when she burst out laughing, tears rolling from her eyes as she held onto the stool to not fall off.

"Well that's amazing. I was hoping to see more of you that you keep hidden but to think you had such a strange quirk. I'm glad that you didn't hurt him. He may be a pain but he's not really a threat." Star wiped the tears away as she stood up and looked at the section they were in.

"Light sources?"

"Yeah I got what I needed so I'm good, what about you?" Marco asked, grateful that the subject was dropped and glad that his words to Ludo held some truth. Star may one day not see monsters as the enemy but as equals. At his question Star span on the spot and ended with her hand held out hold up the charger with a big grin.

"Got it! I even solved a riddle on the way all by myself!" Star exclaimed with glee. Marco's face lit up with a smile, glad that he had let her go on her own after all.

"That's brilliant Star, I'm so proud of you." Marco ruffled her golden hair which caused them both to pause, look away from each other and blush.

"Well that's it then... We should probably go.. Right.." Star spat out flustered.

"Not just yet.."

"Why what's up?" Star asked curiously.

"Well I happen to have brought with me a lot more gold than I would need to buy this... I mean this is only like 5 gold and your charger is like 10. Sooo we could go on a shopping spree... I do need to get some stuff to decorate my room." Marco said with a mischievous grin. Star's eyes lit up at the mention of a shopping spree but more so at the fact he wanted to decorate _. 'He's making himself at home... Good.'_

"So how much did you bring exactly?" Star raised her eyebrow as she reached over for a trolley that was left abandoned and threw the contents onto a nearby shelf.

"650 gold coins.." Marco's smile widened as Star mirrored it.

"Where should we begin?" He asked.

"We'll need a bigger trolley. Stay right here." Star hopped into the trolley and used her wand to blast behind her leaving him alone at an alarming speed. He chuckled before walking to meet her by following the sounds of her destruction. When he was a little further he thought he heard a familiar whisper and chose to follow it.

Going down several isles he ended up at a giant wooden door. He pushed it open to find a bigger door covered in stay out and danger warnings. He walked to the door and held his ear against it.

"Marco... Is that you.." Marco's blood ran cold. The voice turned into a small humming and a voice began to sing to him. He ran to the door he came through and slammed it shut. He felt his heart beating faster and faster until he could hear the beating over the voice. He walked away trying to forget what he had heard. Whatever the danger behind that door he didn't need to worry about it, at least not today. After all, the dead don't come back to life, life isn't that convenient even in Quest Buy, the store that has everything.

He turned to see a giant trolley whiz past him and smiled as he let the sight of Star warm him up and he chased after her apologising to everyone on the way.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 300. No additional information. As previously reported it seems the subject has abandoned the stolen scissors since they were recovered but he has disappeared again. It seems as if he has gained a friend in a higher place but I doubt the subject will use this against us. From the tales and witnesses I have determined a character description._

 _Appearance: Dark brown hair and brown eyes, tan skin and a mole on his cheek. Unsure of location but could be a tell to determine his identity in the future. Subject still wears a red hoodie and carries a small bag. Bag has been told to hold more than capacity so is suspected to be of_ _ ***Confidential***_ _descent._

 _Behaviour: A misunderstood bad boy. It sounds like a bizarre description but subject has displayed many cases of heroics and an effort to help those in need. This could potentially be a useful weakness to exploit. The misunderstood area comes from how he is often persecuted for his action. Some of his efforts have resulted in attempted incarceration and attempts to use him. Subject seems to have build some resilience to this._

 _Ability: His greater abilities are unknown but has displayed some degree of martial arts and weapon use. Weapons are definitely_ _ ***Confidential***_ _and should be recovered with_ _ ***Confidential*.**_

 _Final Note: Speculation of relation to original target seems to have high probability. If speculation is correct then I believe him to be the son. Further evidence required._

 _For full details please review Log Number 295-299. Hunter Out.*_

When they arrived back at the castle Manfred almost collapsed from seeing the pile of belonging and toys they had acquired from boots that made you jump really high to weird costumes he would never see a use for. Nevertheless he clapped his hands and a horde of servants rushed in to sort the stuff and put it in it's new proper place. Marco had to almost lunge to grab the item that he had originally went to purchase.

"Star, you head down for dinner. I'll be there in a minute. Then I can show you the surprise." Marco winked before running off. Star's eyes filled with stars themselves imagining the surprise before skipping to the dining hall and then entering properly.

"Hey Mum, Hi Dad!" She slid into her chair with a big grin that wasn't missed by either parent.

"Had a good day sweetie?" Moon asked as she looked at the door wondering where Marco was.

"Yup! Marco solved the key to the Quest Buy map, I solved a riddle in front of a very friendly Sphinx lady before solving the puzzle of the charger section and finding my charger." Which she brandished like a sword and held it high above her head. River applauded with enthusiasm.

"Wait.. He solved the map? You solved a riddle and puzzle... Alone?" Moon asked surprise. She knew her daughter was intelligent, just struggled from keeping her attention on what was necessary so the very idea that she stayed focused enough to solve anything seemed like a foreign concept to her.

"YUP!" Star admitted proudly.

"Well where is the boy! Congratulations are in order for such a fine feat and a successful shopping con-Quest!" River winked at his awful pun but genuinely wondered where he was.

"Oh he was just finishing his surprise. He should be here any minute now." And almost on cue Marco entered the room. He greeted the servants before greeting the royals and taking his seat with an object covered by a cloth in hand.

"Greetings Marco, we hear you had a rather puzzling day." Moon said almost inquisitively. He figured they were doubting whether Star had completed her task alone but in truth it was puzzling. He was now questioning the racial equality and the longevity of the Butterfly Kingdom. He knew oppression and what happened when a dictatorship was in power rather than a monarchy and didn't want to see the kingdom go the same way.

"Yes Moon, We started together before Star went off on a solo quest and solved the Sphinx's riddle. From what she tells me it went smoothly. I got the part I needed then we went a little wild on a shopping spree. It was really fun." Marco smiled so genuinely that it took Moon by surprise. He was actually really happy. It was a good thing but one that she hadn't expected to see this morning.

"Well my boy! After the wonderful ring from this morning I'm expecting great things from this new surprise!" River's eyes were focused on the object Marco held. He stared at it so intensively trying almost to peer through the cloth. Marco chuckled but noticed Star held a similar stance to her father.

"Okay.. Okay.. I'll show you. We'll need to put out all the candles so the room is dark though." Star quickly waved her wand and the room fell dark immediately, to the surprise of several servants and guards who hadn't heard the conversation. Moon assured them it was alright and they remained silent. Marco stood up and took off the cover before throwing up the object. It floated above the table lighting it below so they could see one another.

The three royals paused before looking past the object at the large roof above. Being cast onto the roof was a starry sky, one none of them had even seen before. River was a wild man, he lived off of nature and instinctively could follow the stars but the ones above him were like none he had ever dreamed to see. He could almost make out patterns in them when Marco began to point out what he called constellations. They were patterns in the stars with their own stories and beliefs behind them. River listened attentively before realising he remembered hearing that some of Mewni's own stars had their own stories. Moon was fascinated by the design. To make such an educational object so easily astounded her. They could train people to navigate and use the stars as guides if they had a more accurate model. She assumed that this was one of the skies Marco had seen on his travels as it wasn't Mewni's.

Star stared up into the starry sky transfixed by the beauty as the makeshift projector span making them move across the sky. She held her wand up and let the light from it fill the object Marco had made. The stars rigid movement became more natural and shooting stars started to appear above her. She looked over at Marco's face and noticed a tear caught in his eye. Looking back at the unfamiliar sky and then at Marco's tender gaze she realised something. He wasn't showing them a starry sky. He was showing them HIS starry sky. The sky of his home. Star had long assumed Marco wasn't a normal Mewman and even Mewman at all with all his gadgets and stuff. More so with how he knew things. Now Star was sure of it _._ Marco wasn't Mewman, but what was he?

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 429. As ordered I have been providing daily logs although the effort remains the same. Nothing new to report. Subject hasn't been sighted in a while. Enjoy the pointless Log. Hunter Out.*_

The sounds of singing and cheering roared the area as the Butterflies stood before the festival gates with Marco in tow. He stood with a smile as he looked around curiously. He had been to the Festival Dimension many times but had only ever come for one festival. It seemed like he had been missing out on a lot of fun as they walked through the entrance. Colour filled the sky as if it rained down from above. There were lights flying past as performers lined both the area in front of them and both above and below the ground. Marco watched as the ground turned almost see through and a school of fish zoomed past below while a flaming bird chased them through a crowd. It was almost the most bizarre event he had ever seen. Star, on the other hand, seemed like she was in her element. She rushed forth and began juggling knives with some of the performers. She was lifted onto someone's shoulders as she used her magic to keep juggling before turning the knives into birds and back flipping into Marco's arms. The crowd applauded loudly before immediately turning to the next display of craziness. Moon called them both over while River was being held by his collar.

"Well I guess I don't have to worry about you two enjoying yourselves here!" Moon chuckled as Marco let Star back to her feet while they both blushed and turned away from each other. Each and every adventure they went on seemed to make the pair more aware of each other. Each strength they celebrated gaining and each weakness overcome seemed to be another stitch in a tapestry that wrote their story.

"Of course Mum! This place is amazing! Look!" Star thrust her hands into what seemed like an invisible pocket and pulled out a map. It was brightly coloured and seemed to be in motion. She pointed to her name on the sheet.

"There is so much stuff to do here from eating contests to fun games! We can even apparently hear our own futures from this psychic lady!" Star exclaimed. Moon took the map from her hands and was shocked when it went blank.

"Star! What happened? Where did you even get this map!" Moon questioned as Star realised what had happened.

"Check your pockets!" Both her parents did so and found their own map present.

"You see, each map is a personal item. You get it when you arrive in the dimension and it takes note of the people you meet and befriend. On the day of the Strongest Warrior festival I met loads of people so I got lots of names on mine but seriously you should have seen Marco's! He had like a hundred if not more on there!" Star carried on explaining the function and uses of the map as Marco found himself being distracted by a cold sensation on the back of his head. He turned and looked out into a crowd and through them. He thought he was imagining it when he saw a hooded figure staring back at him. Marco thought at first it might have been a coincidence but the hooded figure was moving through the crowd. They were moving closer and had started to push past people to approach him. Dread filled Marco's heart as he moved his hand to his bag when all of a sudden someone grabbed it and called his name.

"Marco?" He flinched and turned to see Star and her parents looking at him oddly. He looked back for the figure but couldn't see them anymore.

"Eh yeah Star?" The dread and cold sensation he felt hadn't vanished and it was starting to throw him off.

"You okay bestie?" Star asked concerned. Marco could tell he was freaking her out a little so put the worry out of mind.

"Yeah, just thought I saw something strange. Nothing important, so what's the plan."

"Well that's fine. Well since it is Mum and Dad's anniversary trip we're gonna let them have the morning to themselves and then meet up for lunch. After that we'll go around together." Marco looked up at Moon who nodded and then waved them goodbye. She let go of River who dashed off into the crowd with her following behind.

"Well now it's just us!" Star said with a wink. Marco usually would have blushed and looked away but he noted she was wearing her mischievous smile.

"What are you planning?"

"I just happened to see a familiar name on the sheet, lets go check it out." Star grabbed his hand again and the pair ran into the festival. While keeping track of their path the pair looked around. Marco had grown use to Mewni's oddities and the strange things in many dimensions but it seemed that the Festival Dimension went out of it's way to find even stranger things.

One such thing was a demon who could turn himself inside out. It was revolting in every sense but the pair found themselves stopping to look at it as did many others. They saw a talking sword and a tree that could fly as well as many other wonders.

Finally the pair walked up to a single table and chair to find a fully armoured knight sitting and drinking tea. He clicked his hands and two chairs appeared beside them.

"Greetings Princess, I admit, I hadn't expected to run into you again so soon." The pair sat opposite the knight who removed his helmet revealing his aged face.

"Nor me Sir Bottom." Star said with a big grin.

"I saw you on the map and really just wanted to come say my thanks to you. You helped me during the tournament to remember what is important and face forward. You guided me and let me grow and most of all. You gave me the chance to fight Marco in the final and win." Star explained. Sir Bottom listened with a smile himself. He let his eyes fall on the boy beside her. He had met Marco both in battle and outside and had a lot of respect for him. He knew the boy had a heart of gold, however, he himself wondered what chains bound this heart and whether the true value was throughout or rather just a plating that he hid behind.

"No thanks necessary my dear. I was just repaying a debt to an old friend and I must admit young princess that after witnessing your fight with Mr Diaz here I started to wonder myself if I would have won that fight. It was marvellous. You took my teachings to heart and grew far stronger than the woman who entered the area was and I know your granddad would agree." Star's smile slipped a little as Sir Bottom mentioned Ocean. Star had been trying her best not to be weighed down by the loss and be strong but it brought her back, especially since she was reminded of her grandfather's presence in Sir Bottom.

However before she froze she felt the warmth of another hold her beneath the table. Marco was looking into the crowd but he had slid his hand into hers and gripped it tightly. She found the warmth was like a light in the darkness guiding her.

"It means a lot for you to say that. I miss him greatly and knowing that I'm making him proud is exactly what I need right now. I'm sure you are merely just being kind but I was surprised by my own strength that day. I thought afterwards about how much this strength would have been left untapped and untrained had Marco never come along. I would have had all this potential locked away as I messed around. I got to see so much and I intend to see so much more. Thank you again." Marco's lipped curled as he turned to look into the crowd, zoning out again. He noticed something in the distance and decided to go check it out leaving Star and Sir Bottom to catch up.

He walked until he reached what appeared to be a dead end.

"What am I doing?" Marco asked himself as he pushed his back to the wall and slid to the floor. He kept feeling his instincts raging inside him and he couldn't put the feeling out of his head that he was being watched.

"I'm just going crazy.. I've been on the run so long that all this time with Star... It feels wrong." Marco admitted to himself. He looked up at the coloured dust and acknowledged for the first time that he had indeed betrayed the promise he made to himself. He loved spending time with Star and loved having a home again. It meant so much to be able to leave and come back to a place filled with so much warmth. He'd left Heckapoo behind and others before her in order to never grow so attached yet for Star he forsook all that.

 _"Is it wrong?"_ Marco said the words himself but also heard them from behind the wall he was pushed against. He wasn't sure if it was real at first so spoke again.

 _"My name is Marco Diaz... Of Echo Creek."_ Marco jumped up and ran from the wall. He traced the building around until he came to the other side. It was empty, just another dead end when he heard the voice once more.

 _"We'll meet soon enough Mr Diaz."_ Marco swore as he heard someone leaving the other side and knew he wouldn't catch up to them here. He needed to know who it was and how they knew that name. He had never told anyone that. Not the slaves he confided in, not Heckapoo... No one. Not even Star. He looked around but couldn't find anything so went back to meet Star who was now stood alone.

"Sir Bottom said goodbye and that he hopes you'll meet again. Thanks for giving us some space it was nice to let loose without worrying about weirding you out." Marco was pulled out of his focus by her words as she looked a little insecure.

"Star? You don't have to worry about that with me. I'll never judge you..."

"Great! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Now follow me!" Star commit to their regular routine and grabbed his hand and ran towards a nearby tent. After entering Marco almost wanted to groan as he realised she'd dragged them into a puzzle tent. Full of tricks and riddles to test anyone out. There was even a format set up so two people could challenge each other and see who could get out first. Star ran over to the strange man who ran the tent. He was a larger man with a giant bushy beard and a mask covering the rest of his face with only a question mark on it. His suit was made up of different colours for each limb and frankly Marco found it insulting to the eyes, like a mix of bad and ugly had been sewn into cloth.

The pair followed the staff until they separated and were placed into a small box, they had their hands handcuffed and blindfolds put on them and were told the game hand begun. Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper clip. He straightened the material out so he could shape it. He slid it into the keyhole and winced as he felt the metal start to cut into his skin. This didn't seem like a very sanitary game to him but after bending the wire several times at varying degree angles he had managed to get a wavy piece of wire that resembled the grooving of a key. Inserting it one more time he slid it into the locking mechanism until it was running alongside the teeth and managed to achieve his goal of lifting the locking device inside the cuffs as they shot open freeing him from the handcuffs. He removed his blindfold pocketed them both since he didn't know if he'd need them later on.

Star, on the other hand, managed to shuffle on the floor and remove her blindfold first. She looked at the cuffs and realised that they were a single lock pair. Double lock cuffs could be more difficult but the pair on her could be opened with a quick and efficient method. Her father had trained her in all sort of survival situations and escaping the binds of a captor was one of her best. She reached up into her hair and ruffled a bit before pulling a hair barrette from inside. It may not look it but Star hid many things about her body for all sort of situations. She removed the middle and broke the barrette. She broke the edges off by working the metal until she had two roughly equal sized bands. She found the smoother edge of the pair and slid it into the cuffs on click in, separated the serrated edges and disabled the lock. She put the pieces of her barrette back in her hair, pocketed the cuffs and then moved onto the next room with a big smile on her face.

Marco arrived and froze immediately. Inside the room seemed to be nothing but he noticed some strange markings on the floor. He took the blindfold from his pocket and used it to wave the dirt away revealing many tiles. Each had a different marking on it and he was sure there was some pattern to it. To see what would happen if he failed he tossed the handcuffs out into the floor and when it landed on a fail tile a spear thrust from the wall before retracting away. To fail meant death. He took note of the four patterns that seemed to repeat. A Queen, a King, a Knight and a Bishop. Marco recognised these as the pieces you could use in chess. The first thing he noticed was that some patterns linked up. He took a gamble and walked onto the first Knight tile and nothing happened. He took another step and then one to the left. Following the pattern he hadn't been stabbed so realised he had to cross the tiles using the correct movements of the game. His next move was a single king before coming to a bishop and moving to the right corner. He looked around and couldn't see any tile to move next. He let his eyes fall to the Queen tile just by the entrance and it fell into place for him. If he moved like a bishop backwards to the tile that lined up with the queen and then as a rook he would be using the queen's moves and be able to exit. He proceeded to do so, picking up the handcuffs on the way and managed to reach the exit. He paused to worry if Star would be okay but he figured she would managed just fine.

Star arrived at the chess room and looked down at the tiles. She pushed one down and saw no movement so pushed another and dodged the spear that went straight for her.

"Hmm.. Pressure based tiles set in a distinct pattern. I think this is based on that board game... I really don't get why it's so good. Like every dimension made it but no one knows why it's a universal constant." As she pondered the relevance of such a game apart from a fortunate coincidence pressed the tile down again and counted how long it took for the spear to fully retract and be able to come out again.

"From the initial contact to it being ready to go again is about 5 seconds. I can do this." Star tied up her hair and tore the edge of her dress so it was easier to move in. She took the handcuffs and a hairband and tied them together making them a more solid object.

"One chance Star!" She declared to herself. She bowled the handcuffs in a straight line so that the path straight ahead let all the spears out before running as fast as she could across the room. She was counting the seconds down and realised she would be one second late so put all of her strength in her legs and leapt into the air flipping to the exit. She took one step, trod on the handcuffs and almost fell back into the room. However, she managed to catch herself and breathed a sigh of relief. Grabbing the handcuffs she rushed ahead.

Marco walked into a room with 3 stone statues. One was a sphinx, one was a man with a birds head and one was a man holding his hands to cover his eyes. He walked to the first and was greeted with a riddle.

"Those who wish to pass my lair, answer my riddles if you dare!  
I do not breathe, but I run and jump.  
I do not eat, but I swim and stretch.  
I do not drink, but I sleep and stand.  
I do not think, but I grow and play.  
I do not see, but you see me every day.  
What am I?"

Marco listened to Sphinx's riddle and thought of what the answer could be. He eliminated many of the options straight away before thinking about it and coming to the conclusion.

"It's a limb isn't it?" He asked as the Sphinx remained silent. Marco sighed as he realised it wouldn't aid him in his challenge.

"It's a leg."

"Proceed onward." Marco thanked the Sphinx before moving onto the next.

Marco walked towards the bird man and smiled thinking of Ludo and wondered how he was doing.

"The person who makes me, doesn't want me,  
The person who buys me, doesn't need me,  
And the person who uses me can't see me,  
What Am I?"

Marco thought about the riddle deeply but realised it was too generic. It could have many real answers, some more stupid than others. He thought about the bird man a little more. He had seen a similar looking figure when he was younger. It was a hieroglyph on a wall in the museum. It reminded him of the cursed tomb that he had heard about from another boy in his class and it struck him. Tomb. He turned to the bird man.

"The answer is coffin. A maker isn't dead so won't want it. A buyer isn't dead so won't need it and a person who uses the coffin is dead so cannot see it." Marco reasoned with uncertainty.

"Proceed onward." Was all the statue said. Marco pumped his fist into the air with pride as he moved onto the next challenge. He wasn't sure when but it went from being an endangering kidnapping to a fun game at some point.

Finally Marco approached the man. Now he was clearer Marco noticed the statue was depicting a underweight man who lived in poverty. His clothes, that in which he actually had, were torn and ruined. His rib cage was visible and it was clear from other points, his bitten nails and bitten lip that he had starved or at least tried to avoid starvation by any means. Marco started to appreciate how much effort went into this statue when it spoke to him.

"I am greater than a God, More evil than a devil.  
The poor have me, the rich do not.  
And if you eat me, you will die.  
What Am I?"

Marco stared at the man and paused. He couldn't think of anything the answer could be. In most religions nothing was greater than god, no one was more evil than the devil. What could the poor have that the rich could not? And did it mean that it was a poison if it killed you. Marco sat down and started to think deeply about what the answer could be.

Star moved into the Riddle room with a big smile. She was having the time of her life and then she saw the Sphinx, she ran over to it and hugged it.

"Oh my gosh! It's you! From Quest Buy!" The Sphinx looked confused before catching onto what she was saying.

"Oh you must have met my cousin! Riddle gate keeping is the family business after all however I don't have as great of a gig as her and you should see one of our other cousins. She guards the tomb of a god! Like a God! So did you pass my cousin's riddle?" The Sphinx asked in a friendly manner. Star nodded and the sphinx sighed.

"So the answer was?"

"Leg!"

"Yup... I guess you can move on.."

"Well sure but I wanna know, How are you!" Star asked with a charming and delightful smile. The Sphinx, so use to only seeing the faces of the confused and angry was happy to see such a bright girl.

"I'm happy."

"Me too... I'm having a race with my friend on the other side."

"Oh really? He passed my sister over there but I think he's still in the same room. It's the second to last room so if you hurry you can beat him."

"Oh really! Thank you!"

"It's cool.. Did you want me to help you!"

"No thank you!" Star replied making the Sphinx frown. Star realised she should have explained.

"Thank you seriously for offering to help! I love making friends and I have definitely made one with you but I have to do this myself, if I don't I won't be able to face him or any of your family again." The Sphinx's smile lit up brighter as she realised how pure the girl was.

"Okay! Well get moving girl! You want to win don't you!" Star nodded and ran to the next statue.

"The person who makes me, doesn't want me,  
The person who buys me, doesn't need me,  
And the person who uses me can't see me,  
What Am I?"

Star said the words back and forth in her brain. It seemed like there could be more than one answer and as she was thinking she realised she had heard this particular riddle before. Her granddad had told her it once when he had looked after her. One of the kingdom's Knights had died in the line of duty and there was a public funeral. Her parents sent her to her granddads so she wouldn't get in the way and to distract her he made her train her brain. The moment she linked it to her Granddad she knew the answer. She looked up at the bird statue and gave it a hug too. It stood silently as she whispered the word 'coffin' in it's ear.

She bowed to it and it bowed back. She thought being the guard of such a thought must be hard. To always think about death and the box that sends you there so she thought he might need a hug. As she approached the last statue she didn't even listen to it before hugging it.. She thought maybe statues might feel lonely after all. Never even being able to turn and see each other even though they were in the same room. The statue thanked her before telling her the riddle.

"I am greater than a God, More evil than a devil.  
The poor have me, the rich do not.  
And if you eat me, you will die.  
What Am I?"

"Nothing!" Star said to herself. Even hearing it the first time she knew there was nothing her family couldn't get that a poor person could. It was a thought that bothered her a lot when she was little. One day she saw a little girl play with a ball that she thought looked cool so told her Dad about it. A servant was sent to buy one like it and came back later. Star had a great time playing with the ball. She looked out the window again to see the little girl crying, she noticed her parents standing with lots of stuff they had brought and Star understood what had happened. She climbed from the window and brought the ball back to the girl. She told her to keep it a secret and told her Dad she had lost it but it didn't matter. Star became conscious of the power that money gave her family and knew that nothing was out of her reach, but she knew it wasn't a good thing if it could make someone innocent cry. While she was reminiscing the statue moved his hands and smiled.

"Correct." She nodded to it and left the room moving onto the next challenge.

Marco, on the other hand, was still stuck there trying to rationalise how one could be both greater than god but more evil than the devil. It seemed to be a impossibility. He was growing frustrated and then finally looked at the statue.

"There's not anything! NOTHING! That can be the answer!" The statue opened his eyes and smiled.

"Correct, nothing is the right answer." Marco's eye twitched as he thought about it once more.

"Nothing! It was so easy! I was over-thinking it so badly!" The statue nodded in agreement as Marco ignored him and moved on. Coming into the final room Marco saw a strange mechanical structure with crystals inside it. He noticed there was a light coming in and that it reflected off the crystals. He saw that there were three buttons and mirrors around the circular room began to move. Marco wondered how much work had gone into designing this room. He finally had it so that all the beams were pointed in the right direction but realised that the main crystal wasn't focused properly. He moved forward and tried to move it but realised it wasn't working so looked around the room. He noticed on the other side of the room that there were two lit candles, one with a red flame and one with a blue flame. He thought the blue flame might burn hotter since sometimes that can be the case but it turned out to be a cold flame. Something strange Marco wasn't surprised to see. He took both candles and held them to the focusing crystals. They seemed to react to the temperatures and so he took time to use each candle to position the crystals just right until a door opened behind him. He walked out and looked around seeing only the strange man from before and went to cheer when he heard a voice from above.

"You were slow Diaz." Marco looked up to see Star hanging from the wooden beam of the tent. She dropped down beside him.

"Took too long on that last riddle and then didn't notice the flames until after you pressed the buttons I bet." Star held her head high as she pointed to the winner badge she had on her chest. She began to laugh loudly as she danced around him. If it was anyone else he might have been annoyed but seeing her this happy made him smile.

"Yeah you beat me again Butterfly!"

"This is becoming a common occurrence Diaz." She joked before hugging him.

"What's this for?"

"Being a good sport! Boy if I had lost and you rubbed it in my face I would have hit you." She chuckled before skipping out of the tent leaving him to follow after.

The pair rushed towards a tavern where they had promised to meet her parents. They were almost late as they rushed in and sat opposite them.

"Remarkable! You actually made it Star, I'm rather impressed." Moon laughed until she noticed the badge Star was wearing and then groaned. Both were puzzled until they noticed River proudly brandishing his badge in front of her.

"River. It's just a badge put it away."

"Nonsense my dear! This is proof of my academic prowess. I am a genius!" He declared as he showed his badge to all the patrons who looked over to see what the noise was. Moon grabbed him and pulled him back to the chair.

"Yes Dear. You beat me. Very good." River felt a chill run over him from her tone so decided to keep the celebrating internally. Marco heard Moon mutter something about only getting nothing as an answer as there was nothing in his head which made him chuckle. Star looked around and then turned to him.

"So Marco? This isn't The Tavern but just a tavern?" She asked disappointed.

"Yeah, Zar's Tavern is only around when the Strongest Warrior is on, otherwise it's closed as he tries to get more and more drinks."

"That's a shame, I was hoping to hear you sing again." Marco gulped as Moon smiled at him.

"Yes Marco, I have heard you have a delightful voice?" She questioned. She looked over to a stage nearby and then back at him.

"I'm okay but I don't think there will be any singing today." As Marco said it a waitress was putting there meals on their table and overheard.

"You folks want some singing?" She asked with a grin. Marco went to refuse when Star cupped his mouth and nodded.

"YOU HEARD 'EM GENTS!" Everyone began to cheer as a man jumped across the tables before flipping onto the stage. He sat at the piano and began to play an upbeat melody. Another man had a accordion and joined in too. Finally the waitress walked onto the stage, tied up her hair and grabbed the mike.

"Alright guests of our tavern, we're gonna let you hear a little treat right 'ere." She smiled and tapped to the melody before she started to sing.

"Hear me, Hear me as I sing with glee,  
Hear me, Hear me as I sing this free,  
No chains, no bars just open sky,  
I'll fight for this right lest I die,

Fight me, break me and take my freedom,  
Or fall before my polite decorum,  
I will, with style, see my future,  
As i paint it with the blood of losers,

A story with no happy ending,  
Since there's no one left defending,  
All this treasure that I found today,  
This wealth is mine and it'll stay that way,

So I robbed you and your children,  
You should be glad I did not kill them,  
I'm the seeker of wealth and freedom,  
A hero with none that could precede 'im,

Hear me, Hear me, Since you won't see me,  
Hear me, Hear me, Well gone will I be,  
No trace, No mark, just missing treasure,  
I'm now rich, it's been my pleasure,

Hear my story of the greatest thief,  
My tale of the rich man's grief,  
You sent your men to take my life,  
But jokes on you since corruption is rife,

I slipped past all those with swords,  
Creaking under the rotting floor boards,  
Jumped on over the final gate,  
A final wink and it's now too late,

Miss me, Miss me, As I now disappear,  
Miss me, Miss me, You will never get near,  
For I'm a hero, the one who steals from the rich,  
But a villain who keeps it, ain't life a bitch."

The waitress and the rest finished singing their bar song. They came over and explained that it was the story of the Hero of the Thieves. In a time where those with power abused it over those that didn't a thief would steal from those in power and take their money away. The people in charge tried to blame the poor but since they never had the money it meant that they weren't a part of it. One person would steal from them, mock them and get away. Once they had caught the person but the person killed all the guards and snuck away with all the person's treasure leaving him and his family alive to deal with poverty. It seems it's sung to warn people that greed corrupts and that you shouldn't abuse the power you have. Marco and Star both took the meaning to heart. Star because she remembered her own past from earlier and Marco because he knew what it was like to be oppressed by those in power. He ran his hand over a few of his scars before looking up at a group of people who had come to talk to Star.

"OMG! It's really her!" They rushed over and congratulated Star on her fight and winning the Strongest Warrior Tournament. They asked for her and Marco for autographs as they were in the audience that day and saw the greatest fight in it's history. Once they had the autographs Star thanked them politely as her mother had taught her and they started a cheer for the Warrior Princess so Star jumped up and showed off a few of her moves which made everyone cheer. They dragged her on stage and started to sing with Star doing her fighting moves as a kind of dance. River got up and joined her on stage as Moon smiled at them both.

"Thank you." Marco looked up to see Moon now staring at him.

"For what your maje- Moon?" Marco corrected himself again.

"Just now Star was praised for both her strength as a fighter and her grace. The title Warrior Princess suits her. I am constantly underestimating her these days. I think I know her and then she goes and shows me she is much more amazing than I could ever hope for." Marco listened to her and smiled.

"I think Star the Underestimated sounds much better.. She's always surprising me too.. Just when I think I can keep up with her or I beat her at something she just grows even faster or even stronger. She is incredible."

"Star the Underestimated? I like it.. You have a good naming sense. It sounds so much better than my own title."

"Moon the Undaunted?"

"The immortal monster will long by haunted by the darkest spell of Moon the Undaunted. I hate that name and I hate the tapestry based on it as well."

"I mean it at least sounds cool?" Marco offered as a consolation. He wasn't sure what Moon's name was a direct reference too, even the history book he read only hinted to a battle where she solidified herself as Queen and Star had never mentioned it. Moon started to laugh at what he said.

"That's true.. It does indeed sound cool. I mean Marco, the Red Knight seems pretty cool to me too." Marco's face flushed red enough to match his hoodie as Moon joked about his title. He turned to see River and Star now sparing on stage as everyone cheered before they came back to finish the meal. They all laughed and discussed what they had done so far.

After lunch they headed out as a group and were trying to decide what to do next when River suddenly jolted into a dark tent set up at the corner of the festival. Walking closer there were skulls and strange symbols decorating the area. Reluctantly they rushed after him and entered the tent.

From the moment he touched the cloth of the tent his instincts raged out of control. Marco's hair stood up on end as he tried to brush the goose bumps away. He pushed the cloth and entered. The air was stale as if sealed off from the out doors and the room was dark. He almost found himself chocking on the dust that filled the air. He could just make out Moon and Star in front of him but had no idea where River was. They kept walking, longer than the tent even appeared to be. Marco went for his daggers almost instantly and was starting to wonder if he had been too quick to reach for them when he noticed two lights in front of him. The magic of Moon and Star shone in the darkness, both aware that something wasn't right.

"Put the weapons down children, they have no place here." All three turned poised for battle to find a hooded figure sitting by a table with River happily eating beside them.

"She's right Moonpie! This is a special place!" River mumbled through his food. Marco recognised the person as the one who had been watching him. He went to question her when she clapped her hands and the lights came on. They were in a small tent with a single table and shelves filled with strange artefacts. The hooded figure immediately started to talk.

"Take a seat if you will, you can find the answers to your futures still. If in the past you wish to be, let me enlighten you and you will see, That in present now the answers clear, come find the truth from this old dear." The woman removed her hood to reveal she was in fact an aged lady. Her hair hadn't quite finished it's transition to grey but it covered most of her locks. She smiled at the trio pointing to their empty seats. Moon and Star took seats beside River but Marco remained standing.

"Marco?" Star questioned but the elderly lady waved her hand to silence her.

"He is not ready. We shall see your paths first." She slid her hand across the table and appearing where her hand swept was a set of cards. The pictures unlike anything anyone had seen.

"What is this?" Moon asked looking at the lady. River stopped eating and swallowed his food, taking too much at once and almost choking. Coughing his airways clear he faced his wife.

"It is the magic of the common folk, unlike that of the Butterfly it is a tradition of the Johansen men to seek their paths from the cards of truth." River declared with a smile. Moon paused and stared at him. She was under the impression his family had shunned magic and her power. Ocean was another case but the rest all seemed to think winning a fight with magic was always worth less than with your fists.

"How come you have never mentioned this before?" She asked filled of curiosity and conflict.

"You see my dear, You would never have come here before. All of our anniversaries have all been formal trips and vacations. Sure you let me run wild every now and then but you never let yourself truly experience what is out there. Star was never ready to accept other forms of magic and ever since grumpy over there turned up you've both changed. Moonpie you have to realise that you've opened your heart to others again? Like when I first met you, before you became Moon the Undaunted and Star, Pumpkin, you have grown so much in these last few cycles that I couldn't be prouder. I want to share this tradition with you so when I saw Lady Radem I raced in here so you would follow."

Moon processed what he said to her. She had indeed felt like a weight had lifted off her heart and that she was seeing more light in life. She looked over at Marco who seemed to be focused on an item on the shelf and realised that it really was him. She felt like he was a son to her, someone to protect. He had helped Star so much and could be a strength to her and she wanted so badly for him to welcome that as a goal. She looked at River, his face seemed to be showing a big smile but she knew better, he was uncertain and worried. This must have been a big step for him and she wanted to embrace it.

"Okay so you tell the future with these cards?" Moon asked the Lady as River breathed a sigh of relief. Star smiled knowing how much this meant to her Dad too.

"No, some would have you believe that these cards can tell you the future but they are merely a tool for tapping into your higher self. The tarot is in essence a soul map. It will guide you to your own answers and with the truth you find within yourself you will be able to embrace the future, accept the past and truly live the present. Although your husband called this magic it is not magic, it is more like peering into a sacred mirror. Your higher self already knows the answers you seek and by achieving synchronicity with the cards you will rid the distinction of inner and outer and the answers will become clear to you." Lady Radem explained as the trio listened attentively to her. Moon recalled that she had heard of this before, it was essentially akin to her Dip Down technique in that you invoke the magic that is already within you to become greater than your worth. She thought of her own path and found that somewhere deep inside her this is exactly what she wanted.

"Now.. I'm afraid that these readings are personal. Your husband has had his reading and embraced that in which he already knew. Now who would like to journey to their answers first?" Moon and Star looked at each other before Star nodded and stood up. Moon felt a little guilty but really wanted to hear what she needed to.

Moon followed the woman into a room behind the table and out of sight leaving River eating and Star to look up at Marco who seemed transfixed with a ball on the shelf. She wanted to say something to him when the woman's words rang in her head "He's is not ready.". Star watched him in silence, worried for her friend.

Sitting down Moon faced the woman as she shuffled the cards in her hands. She felt the cards as if they were a part of her, a familiar to her. She placed three cards upside down in front of her.

"Are you ready?" Lady asked with a blank face. Moon nodded and then the woman picked the cards up and passed them to Moon.

"Shuffle the cards yourself, feel them. When you feel ready take the top three cards and lay them out. This technique is called a 3 card spread reading. It is based on the card of The Lovers. It is the combination of your self conscious, sub-conscious and your greater conscious. By doing this we'll see the world around you through your eyes and be able to see what you need to see. The first card will be the greater conscious, it is placed above the others as it is the most important. The two are below it and when you take them you will ask the cards for that in which you seek." Moon listened carefully as she took the cards. She shuffled them in her hands and then did as she was told.

The Lady turned over the first card by the side and followed suit with the others.

"The Fool, The Empress and The Wheel of Fortune." Lady smiled as she looked at the cards. Moon just looked confused so Lady decided to explain to her.

"For many first timers who come for a reading you are innocent. You seek enlightenment and it is a symbol of a new cycle. You have turned over a new leaf and are embracing change. Some may see the fool and laugh however the fool is the wisest, he sees all and knows everything. We lead onto the Empress, the symbol of femininity, nature and nurturing. It seems your new found light comes from your love and caring nature. The bonds you have with others are a strength to you and you see that yourself. You are aware of the changes it brings in you which leads to our final card. The wheel of fortune. What could represent luck I feel represents the karma this change can bring you. As the wheel keeps turning you will see this new light shine down on others from yourself. See the coming days optimistically and do not be afraid to have faith." Moon let her head hang as she listened to her reading. The words flying through her and making so much sense. She looked up at the woman expressing an emotion rarely seen on her, vulnerability.

"What if having faith leads to ruin?" The woman picked up the cards and held her hand out which Moon took with her own.

"That's why it's called faith... You have to believe. I cannot tell you what you haven't already told yourself. You know what is happening to you and why it is, if you choose to believe and pursue this change yes you risk harm but you also let yourself be free to good fortune and abundance. This reading is what you are telling yourself. Don't try to process it all at once. To stare at oneself for too long can lead to ruin. Why don't you try asking your husband what it is he saw? He is remarkably a man who can see what others sometimes cannot." Moon let her fears fade as she thought about River.

"You don't need to tell me that." Moon thanked the woman before leaving and sending Star into the room. Star took her seat with apprehension as nerves filled her. Lady Radem told her to calm herself and explained as she had to Moon. Star followed suit until her cards were laid out in front of her.

"The Fool, Strength and The Lovers." The Lady smiled and let Star look at the cards. She ran her hands across them before waiting for Radem to continue.

"Just like your mother you first find the fool. I'm sure you associate that word with some negativity but do not think that way. The fool is innocent. He isn't weighed down by the thoughts of others and their way of thinking. He is enlightened and embraces the world before him. He is able to trust in it and in the child within. You, my dear, are the embodiment of the fool. Innocent beyond fault. But where you are innocent you are also strong and courageous. Admired traits for all to see. You are filled with inner strength, so much so that you can influence the world around you. Some may underestimate the power you hold but worry not, that is but an advantage to you. Take forth your wisdom, your innocence and your power and walk the path you desire. Do you let yourself be weighed down by worry. You know the answer within you. And finally my favourite card, the card of The Lovers. Do not mistake this as just a simple relationship the card of lovers in it's purest form represent the true meaningful connections between you and another. You have bonded beautifully and may have found your soul mate. Whether this is a partner or a friend is all down to that courage of yours but know that what you have is something special. Star, the future is yours, no matter what happens you will, by your own strength, find the light with those who matter by your side."

Star smiled and let the words fill her. She knew what she had to do.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. This is command. Please avoid using the log transmissions to voice your complaints. If you wish to report a complaint please follow the approved procedure. Logs predating Logs 590 that contain no relevance have been erased. Please continue to improve your performance. Payment is only received upon completion of GIVEN assignment. Reminder of assignment is to acquire_ _ ***Confidential***_ _and end the life of the one who carries it. Any means are acceptable but patience has a limit. We pray for your success. Glory to the-_ _ **File Corruption-**_

 _*Transmission End*_

Marco looked into the darkness. The voices of those he loved calling out his name.

 _"Marco! Please! You have to do this!"_

"I don't want to... I don't want this."

 _"There is no other way. Go. Now. Or what happens next will mean nothing. You cannot let them take that which they cannot have. You have to live Marco... For all of us."_

He heard there screams as their words repeated in his head. He found himself falling deeper and deeper into the fog as his mind was plagued by the words of those he treasure. It kept going on and on.

 _"Hey... New kid? What's your name?"_

"M-m-marco.."

 _"Well M-m-Marco.. My names Janna and over there is Jackie, Ferguson and Alfonso. Welcome to the gang."_

The words would start bright, leading him deeper.

 _"Go. Leave. You're the son of the chosen one after all. I thought after everything that happened we'd at least have each other but your leaving I know so go. I'll see you when you get back." She slammed the door in his face as tears rolled down his cheeks._

"I'm not coming back.."

"No you're not. There is no going back." Marco felt a bone like grip on his shoulder as someone pulled him to the ground. He looked up to see the old lady staring at him worried.

"It is unwise to stare into the abyss young man. If you stare too long it will stare back at you. Don't seek answers in the fog... You will get lost." Marco looked around and realised he was still inside the tent. He looked up at the crystal ball and noticed she had covered it with a cloth. The other three looked at him concerned as the Lady made some excuses about it being a magical item that could show people strange things and not to worry. The Lady took his hand and led him effortlessly into the next room where he sat opposite her still in a daze.

"You are not ready but I think you need to see for yourself what you are so afraid of." The woman thrust the cards in his hands and explained the technique to him. Not really taking notice he did as he was told until the cards were ready.

"The Reversed Hermit, The Reversed Tower and The Reversed Star. A very rare and daunting sign if I do say so myself."

Lady Radem watched him as he stared at the burning tower and then at the Star. She could see the conflict on his face and decided to make it aware.

"The Reversed Hermit can mean one of two things, You are not taking enough time for personal reflection or you are taking too much. For you I see the latter. You have lived in isolation and reject the voices within you. You have become a hermit in more than just name. You cut yourself off from others and try to survive alone. However this has caused you to shut out everyone, even those who could help. The reversed Tower shows us that you are under going a significant transformation. You are not happy with the changes because you are not sure you understand the changes. You reject the new life you have started living since within is the conflict of your inner desire and that of the hermit who wants nothing more than to cut off this new found change. This leads us finally to the reversed Star. You have lost faith and hope in the universe. I can tell it was not a recent loss to you but you are desperately seeking redemption. You think this is too much for you and so you reject it. You feel you don't deserve their love and their faith in you but Marco, this change is good. You may feel like the divine has abandoned you but this is no punishment, it is a blessing. A test of faith. If you embrace the Star in your life you may regain the hope that you have lost. Let the divine shine through and accept the transformation you are experiencing. Only then will you find the answers you seek." Lady looked up to see Marco glaring at her. He went to leave but she grabbed his hand quickly.

"Marco... What you saw in the crystal ball and what you run from are one and the same. If you do not face that fear and continue to run from it you will only end up losing everything that matters."

"I already did." Marco said coldly as he ripped his arm free. He stormed out of the tent and into the festival with Star chasing after him. Lady stepped out to see Moon giving her a glare.

"That nurturing instinct is strong I see. Worry not, He only heard what he needed to hear. There is much conflict within that boy and the darkness that follows him is not one easy to disperse. I fear that being consumed by the hatred and anger is a path he may follow if he doesn't let himself feel the light." Lady sat down and helped herself to the food while Moon was left to think about what she said.

"Marco!"

"Marco Stop!"

"Marco please wait!" Star reached out and grabbed his wrist. Star suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest as he kicked her away from him. He looked at her in horror at what he had done and started to run. She immediately stood up and gave chase. The pair ran through the many oddities that populated the festival but only had one thing in mind. To get away and to get him to stop.

Marco quickly jumped up onto a beam and started to run across it, covering the span of many tents at once. He looked behind him and couldn't see Star so kept running when all of a sudden the beams gave out underneath him and he fell straight into her arms.

"Stop."

"Let me go Star. I'm sorry." Marco tried to break free of her grip but she wasn't letting go. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he already did so gave up. She carried him to an abandoned part of the area where they could be alone and put him down.

"Why are you running?"

"Because I hurt you.."

"No. Why did you run away from the tent?"

"It doesn't matter.."

"It matters to me. Can you not see that Marco? You are there for me when I even frown yet I can't be there for you when you are hurt? Am I that unreliable to you?"

"Star that's not it at all!"

"Then what is it! Why is your first impulse to leave me?" She lashed out in anger and Marco suddenly realised he had hurt her more than just with a kick.

"Star I didn't mean to-"

"-No. You never do. It's not even your fault. I thought we were making some real progress. I thought that I finally had broken through to you. That I could be your bestie, someone you could trust. Your Star."

 _"If you embrace the Star in your life you may regain the hope that you have lost."_ Marco heard the words ring in his head once again as he looked at Star. She faced him with no fear, no apprehension as she sought the answers she needed.

"I'-"

"Don't. Don't apologise. I don't want you to be sorry Marco. I want you to at least let me try to prove to you that I can be your strength. You said yourself that you were proud of me and how much I had grown. I'm trying Marco. I'm not perfect but I'm trying. I don't want a sorry I want a promise. Promise me that you will at least look my way before running away and if you do I want you to tell me first. I deserve that much."

Marco nodded as Star wrapped her arms around him. His body felt so cold compared to her warmth as he felt her words stab at his heart. She faced him with no barriers and no defence and only wanted him to see her. He had let the voices get to him and his own doubts start to overwhelm him. He knew what the Lady had said was right but how can he stop his life from being in the reverse. Marco looked up to see Moon and River looking down at him.

"Whatever she told you, it's private. We won't ask you to tell us what is yours to keep but since this is our anniversary... We'll ask that you don't run off and instead how about the four of us go and check out some of these games here. River tells me that getting your reading is but the first of many traditions and I'd like us to go do them together. As a family." Moon asked him sincerely.

"I'd like that." Star pulled him up and the three others huddled around to hug him. Marco knew this is what he was afraid of. He had a home.. And now a family and all that meant to him is that he now had something else to lose. He wouldn't let it happen again. He wouldn't let the people he loved be nothing but a bad memory.

"Let's go have some fun." He said with a masking smile as they headed back to the games and to what would inevitably turn into a fierce contest between four people who are used to being the best.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_  
 _*Decrypting Now.*_  
 _*Transmission ready. Shall we play it?*_  
 _*Playing Transmission.*_  
 _*"Hunter 001. Beginning Log Number 650.*_

 _Progress update. After following the destruction of the town of beginning and reports of in both Babylon and The Festival Dimension I have concluded that the subject is hiding in Mewni. This shall be problematic but it seems he has some relationship to the ruling party of Mewni. This could also work towards our final objective._

 _Progress update 2. I have found evidence that he was here a week ago. I tracked down a woman who met him and after torture we have finally received what we sought for so long. A name. The woman refused to give up much more before her death. Age seemed to be a deciding factor so i will review my torture techniques for future studies._

 _Profile Update: Target is Marco Diaz of *Confidential*."_


	8. Chapter 8 - Storms of The Past

**Legacy Of Loneliness 8**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you to all who read and reviewed :) We always look forward to your responses. If you have any questions feel free to message myself or Mr Black Cat or leave a review and let us know what you thought!**

* * *

 **A Dark and Stormy Night**

A light breeze ushered in some dark clouds above ending the afternoon of it's sun lit skies. The wind carried the fragrance of nearby blooming flowers which was sweet to the nose. One such person enjoying the treat was Marco Diaz. He stood up and looked around before continuing to dig the hole in the ground.

"Shouldn't be too long now... Then it'll be over and no one will know any different." He told himself. He hopped down into the hole checking it was about the right size. Climbing up he wiped the rest of the red liquid that was dripping from his face. He hadn't hurt himself, the red that dyed him this time was not his own.

Marco walked across the damp soil until he reached the source of the liquid. He bent down before dragging it over to the hole. It can't have weighed too much more than himself but the effort of hiding it and dragging it to this spot had worn him out considerable. He pushed it into the soil and made sure to chuck in the parts that hadn't survive his blades. He picked up his shovel and got to work with burying the root of his current problem.

"All done." He assured himself minutes later. What needed to be buried had been so. He headed over to a nearby water hole to wash off the rest of the red liquid when he felt a presence nearing. Moving fast. He wouldn't have time to hide it from them.

"Oh hello Marco? What on earth happened to you? Moon rushed over to him and started to check if he was injured in anyway. A quick once over told her that he wasn't the source. She ran the liquid between her fingers and her eyes parted as wide as they could go.

"Marco... This.. Is this what I think it is..." She quizzed. He merely nodded in response.

"Who?... How?... Tell me everything?"

"It wasn't planned. I bumped into someone who i knew with connections. They showed me to.. 'it'. Getting my hands on 'it' wasn't easy. I had to bribe a few people and fool a few others but just when everything was going my way I had an accident. I didn't mean to hurt 'it'... I took my eyes off 'it' for a moment and 'it' went to fall. I thought I would lose 'it' so I rushed forward and broke 'it'. After that 'it' didn't need to be whole to transport here.. I used my blades to cut off the extra limbs I didn't need and planted 'it' here." Marco tried to explain. He was worried she wouldn't understand it was an accident. It wasn't meant to be found... At least not yet.

"... I can't say I ever saw this happening. We can't let anyone else find out about this."

"You'll help me?"

"Of course... We're in this together."

"Thank you."

Moon nodded before taking out some leather-like gloves from her pocket and proceeding to finish what Marco started.

Finally, half an hour later the pair stood back and admired their handiwork. They had brought over some bushes to hide 'it' from view. No one could know.

"Still I'm surprised..." Marco turned to face Moon as she started talking.

"I'm surprised you would go out of your way to get a fruit tree. It's a shame you dropped it but don't worry the juice won't stain. The branches you cut off were growing too irregularly and since you rooted it well there should be no problem."

"Thanks, it was meant to be a surprise. I was going to show you all when it had flowered and when the fruit was ready. I had hoped to make some jams and other stuff with it but I hadn't intended to break the only piece it made so far though. The juices went everywhere."

"It's a rather delicate fruit, the tree is hard to grow but with your green fingers I'm sure it'll be no problem."

"I did ask around the market and got some tips. Now we just need to keep it hidden from the guards and Star. They'd keep stealing the fruit otherwise."

"Exactly, we could tell River. He would much rather go find some meat than eat fruit. Anyway I just came to check on you before meeting Star. I'll head back first but when you're done with the flower and herb gardens you should join us." Moon patted his head before rushing off as swiftly as she had come.

Marco smiled as she vanished from view, his facial muscles growing more familiar with such an unfamiliar expression for him. Marco picked up his tools and headed back to the greenhouse. He had convinced Moon to install it after showing the benefits of one. He claimed to have seen it on another dimension and she didn't ask any more questions. A fragile but mutually appreciated relationship had formed between the two, For Marco, the mother he lost and for Moon, the son she never had. Both gained from the other but both kept a hardened distance in pursuit of self-preservation.

Marco could still not reveal the past he kept hidden, the secrets he carried and the spark that lit the fuse for his life of the run. He had to protect both her and everyone else in the Butterfly Kingdom, most of all Star. Whereas it was the very secrets he kept that forced Moon to keep a distance between them. How could she let him in fully when she knew she couldn't trust him? She wanted to but when you look into a dark room can you be sure that it's empty? It was the same for Moon. Afraid of allowing her own feelings to damage her kingdom they had reached a balance.

The ever so important balance could not have been more defined than with their shared garden. Since he had brought the flowers she loved so much from the brink of wilting Moon had asked that he continue to care for them. She had helped him to acquire seeds for herbs and other plants that Marco wanted to raise and extended the area for him to care for his plants into his own. Now as he looked up at dark clouds, whose reach had begun to erase any trace of the coloured sky, he felt at ease. A calm rush waved over him as he finished tidying away his tools.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_

 _*Decrypting Now.*_

 _*Transmission Ready. Play now.*_

 _*Lone Hunter_ Secure Channel.*_

 _"Reporting In. Formerly Hunter 001, New designation to Lone Hunter."_

 _"Two weeks have passed since the target's name was verified. Investigation into the past of Marco Diaz has turned up almost empty. It seems the target rarely gave out his real name or was named._

 _Confirmed sightings of the subject have solidified the assumption that he has ties to royalty. I intended to investigate further into his actions in Babylon but was at risk of exposure. The Prince's aid, a woman with scarlet hair, seemed to respond negatively to news of someone searching for him. While only my opinion, I think it's possible to assume that he has ties to other royals._

 _Potential courses of action:-_

 _\- Deep undercover in Mewni_

 _\- Form alliances of our own with a ruling party. Would need someone with a personal vendetta to be of the most efficient use._

 _\- Find a weakness._

 _Final comment: The work I can do in the field is limited. For furthering the investigation I recommend the redeployment of the other hunters or at least use some resources from HQ to assist._

 _Lone Hunter. Out."._

The dark clouds above had given way to a heavy rain that pounded onto the ground in front of him. Marco, while keeping his balance in the wet soil, proceeded to the gate. He was given free reign in the castle grounds but felt it better to respect the procedure and check in with each of the guard gates on the way back. He walked up to the small room and tapped lightly on the wooden door. When he heard no response he knocked again, this time more firmly.

Once again no response. Marco went to walk away, not wanting to remain in the heavy rain when he noticed the door was at a slight angle. He pushed it with a small amount of pressure and it slowly opened. The room's candles weren't lit and the curtains were closed meaning the only light inside was that which poured in from behind him, silhouetting his figure as a shadow cast into the darkened room. He ran his hands along the frame of the door as he entered. A sharp pain pricked his finger and upon inspection he realised he'd cut it on the door frame. Marco shifted his body to let more light fall on the frame and noticed the hinges were bent and broken. A feat rarely possible in Mewni since all the doors were built to withstand their impressive strength.

He delved deeper into the room and began to search for a light. After searching out a bit he found where the candles were stationed but as soon as he touched them he drew back. He pulled his shoulder clip torch out and turned it on. He lifted his hands into the beam of light and saw that his hands were now stained purple. He looked at the candle holder and saw the same. Each light source was covered with this unknown substance. He let the light scan the room, the beam shinning of stray swords and shields.

He could see now the situation inside. The chairs were knocked off their legs as if someone had stood up quickly, swords on the floor, half out of their sheath, as if disarmed at a speed which rendered the guards unable to act. He finally found a larger source of the substance and used a stray stick to poke it.

"Hearts?" Marco questioned out loud as he saw that there was a pattern to the substance. As he spoke lightning and thunder were unleashed from the sky. Marco looked up to the curtain and noticed an eye peering in through a hole. He rushed outside grabbing one of the swords on his way. Almost slipping on the now soaked ground, he dashed around to the window only to find it empty.

Not getting answers at the guarding station, Marco ran through the rain, ignoring the increasing heaviness it carried, until he reached the entrance to the castle that he had promised to meet Moon at. When he reached it a sinking feeling appeared in his stomach. The door was ajar and the place was empty. His whole journey here had been a solitary one, seeing no man or woman around. The ever bustling streets of Mewni now lay bare. People sheltering from heavy rainfall, or an ill omen of things to come? He walked closer and let his light shine in when he started to feel worse. A strange purple vine dangled in front of him, he pushed it away to only find more. He used the sword to hack away at the vines, like an explorer would use a machete, until he was free to enter.

He tried to push the door shut but there was too many of the vines tangled stopping him from doing so. This left the heavy sound of rain and crackling of thunder echoing through the halls. He watched as flashes of lightning gave away how much of the castle's stone was consumed with the dark purple vine. The same love hearted pattern flowered on the vines as Marco proceeded to force his way down the hall.

Half an hour had passed for Marco when he decided to take a break and think about the situation. His breathing had grown heavier due to pushing himself while cutting the vines. Some had been thicker than the rest while others were just harder to cut through, nonetheless, he had preserved to reach his current location.

"Okay Diaz... What is happening?" He asked himself as he looked out the window. Sitting down, he turned his light to conserve battery.

"Everyone is missing. There are signs of a struggle. Something built... A nest here?" Marco ran his hands across the smooth purple vine and felt a warmth to it. One he recognised but could not place.

He felt his body grow stiffer as the cold finally started to take hold of him. His clothes wet, still dripping with the rain water. His breathing was shallow and his breath now visible. He felt a strong draft from ahead meaning either someone else left a door or window open or there was something ahead that could lead outside through other means.

He rubbed his hands together and breathed warm air into them, trying to fight the numbing cold that had started to attack his body. His efforts were in vain however as his fingers shook. He knew if this lingered his ability to defend himself would be limited. He moved to the curtain and ripped a piece of cloth from it, making a note to apologise to the castle maids if they were still alive. Wrapping it around his hand, he sealed the sword in, even if he couldn't grip the weapon he made sure he could still swing it.

Marco turned back away from the window when a shadow flew past. He looked back to see nothing but water droplets hitting the glass. He was just being paranoid, he told himself turning back again.

"But being paranoid is what kept me alive so far." Marco span back round only to be confronted with two shinning eyes from a figure on the other side. He barely had a second to take in the figure when the purple substance burst from their hands and sealed the window away.

"They know I'm here." He told himself as a slamming from the path he once walked warned him that he had been locked in. Whatever this creature was it was sealing away his exits. Marco looked forward and felt a small breeze still blow from ahead, if he was to get out that was his chance. He finished tying the sword in and rushed through the shredded remains of the vines. He didn't let up as he could hear more and more doors slamming around the castle. His fears were confirmed when the first door he reached was sealed shut. What bothered him the most was that it was sealed from the inside. He took another step and felt a crunch at his heel. Looking down he noticed there was glass on the floor. Remembering the layout of the castle he let his gaze fly upwards to see a broken window above. He could tell that the wind came from there and was considering trying to use it to escape when a loud bang ahead chose for him. Marco grabbed at the vines that clung to the wall and began to scale it. He was careful not to loosen the grip on his sword, even if it made it harder. Marco used his free hand to jump towards the open window. He almost regretted his decision as warm red blood trickled down his hand. He ignored the pain and pulled himself out. He had cut himself on the broken frame shards but a quick patch ended his concerns. He looked back down into the hole and thought all he saw was darkness... Until it looked up at him with it's shinning eyes.

Marco slid down the tiles of the roof and jumped across to a nearby tower. His footing compromised he thrust the sword into the building in hopes of stopping his fall but the blade shattered. His descent seemed to increase so he rummaged in his bag until at the last moment he found a trusted companion.

His trusty grapple hook flew through the air and hooked a hanging flap pole. Marco braced himself as he swung and crashed into the building. He looked around and noticed that there was a sealed window above him. He climbed up, ignoring the freezing wind and rain, until he was level with it. He looked back down and realised he couldn't see the ground anymore. He would only have one shot at this. Marco pushed off of the wall and swung back toward the window before kicking it in and rolling to the floor. He moved quick grabbing a table and pressing it to the window to stop the cold.

After scanning the room methodically, Marco realised he was in one of the maid's bedrooms. He rushed to the fireplace and started to kindle the flame. Heat burst into the room and he stripped his clothes off and huddled closer to the fire. He didn't have long to warm up as if he was in this sort of state then he was worried what the rest of the population of Mewni was like. Once his hands had regained their feeling he started to look in his bag for a change of clothes. All he had was a normal t-shirt, some jeans and some basic supplies. He groaned when he realised that all his other clothes he had unpacked into the draws and wardrobe in his room to show Star he was settling down. The more he thought about it the more his thoughts were drawn to her.

Marco had been trying to keep her out of his head as to not worry. She was strong, brave and a fierce warrior. There was hardly any who could beat her physically and since their training and her lessons fewer who could even hope to best her in other feats. Star was special, there was no way that the monster that lurked the halls even stood a chance against her. Marco let a smile start to creep on his face when the booming sound of doors being broken echoed closer to him. He grabbed his soaked clothes and threw them on the flames putting them out. Rushing to get dressed he rushed into a wardrobe and looked through a small hole in the wooden grain. His breathing slowed as he tried to erase his presence. Marco watched in silence waiting for something to happen. Silence continued.

After, what seemed like forever but was just, 10 minutes Marco let out a sigh of relief that turned into a gasp of regret. The door flew of off it's hinges and straight into the table he'd put up forcing both out of the window. He held his breath as the six armed creature skulked into the room. He couldn't make out the figure clearly due to the lighting and small eye hole but it appeared to have two horn like shapes coming from it's head, wings from it's back and those strange glowing eyes. It moved quicker than he had expected as it searched the room. Finally arriving at the fireplace it grabbed his clothes and seemed to smell them. Something was wrong however as it furiously smashed around the room, tearing the clothes to shreds.

It flew from the room and the crashing sounds moving throughout the castle told Marco that he could leave.

Stepping out of the wardrobe, Marco's gaze fell to the floor and to the purple hearted trail that now resided there. It confirmed for him that it was the source of all of this. Strong enough to break a Mewman door, fast enough to keep up with him and dangerous enough that he needed to run.

Marco looked down at the burnt rags that were, until just recently, his wet clothes and realised the beast was tracking him via his scent. It knew his now and was going to follow, he needed a disguise, something that would cover his scent but also keep him warm. He turned to the wardrobe and gulped in regret at the idea.

Mere minutes passed before Marco was ready for his next mission, his combat gear was now a purple ball gown dress, complete with frills and a pink bow around the waist. It didn't hinder his movement and it would cover his scent to one more familiar around the castle.

Marco suddenly yawned and rubbed at his eyes like a toddler after a long day. Gazing out the window Marco realised the dark clouds had concealed the coming night. He had been up early to acquire the tree after a night of little sleep, running around and fighting the vines had really taken atoll on him. He yawned again, his eyes watering with tiredness this time. He slapped himself to wake up a little but knew the heavy feeling in his eyes wouldn't fade for a while.

Among all the other feelings on his face being shown Marco was surprised to see his smile return. He realised why as quickly as he had noticed it. He was in a desperate situation with little to no chance of success, unknown enemy and all that mattered at risk. He had something, someone, worth risking everything for and it felt special. He felt a flame flicker in his heart and held his hand to his chest, maybe if he caught it and held it tight then that flame would keep him warm and full of hope.

Refocusing on the task Marco set down the hall, there weren't as many vines on the upper floors so he could make the most of his speed. He used the training from Star to move around almost silently to avoid detection. His plan was to head to the main hall of the Kingdom. It wouldn't fit them all but if there was somewhere that could hide the missing it would be there.

"Finding nothing is better than finding something bad." Marco thought to himself as he glided through the halls. He was on a strict intention not to stop when he was forced to come to a sharp halt. The open halfway vanished giving way to a tunnel of purple that coated the walls. He treaded lightly into the unfamiliar terrain, each step causing dread to grow further over him. He was about halfway when something caught on the bottom of his dress. Peering down, he caught sight of a hand emerging from the purple vines. He dropped down to his knees and ripped away at them until he uncovered one of the many nameless guards. One he had spoke with but not really had the chance to get to know better yet. He was one of the outer guards so him being here confirmed Marco's theory of the creature moving the victims. Marco held his fingers to the mans throat and, albeit weak, felt a relieving pulse pushing the blood through his veins. Lifting his eyelids he noted that his eyes were dilated and his body stiff, paralysed, Marco summarised. He was about to lift the body out when he heard a shuffling from the other side of the tunnel. It was now or never. Marco breathed deeply but calmly. It wasn't his first time going into battle and he intended to make sure it wasn't his last. He thought back to his time as a slave and knew he'd much rather have the guys from that time beside him again for what would come next.

Marco breathed out deeply, attempting to relieve himself of all nerves and fears. He faced the dark passage way and scanned it with his eyes. He wouldn't have much of a chance for a surprise attack but if he moved fast enough he could inflict some damage. He bent down and took the sword from the paralysed guard and focused on the darkness.

The slight movement ahead was all Marco needed as he rushed from the spot. He moved with haste but also stealth, keeping low to avoid being spotted and making sure not to get caught on anything. He reached the target faster than he intended to and could no longer hold back his emotions or thoughts.

"GIVE BACK MY STAR!" He yelled furiously as he slashed the air with his blade. The target dodged just in time but didn't immediately strike back. It was confused by his sudden appearance and Marco took that chance. He lunged forward with the sword only to have his hand grabbed and his body thrown into the roof. He hit it hard causing him to exhale all the air he had inside him winding him completely. He dropped to the ground, losing the sword in the process, and wasting no time in jumping at the shadow. He thrust his fists forward but each was blocked and easily dealt with. Marco was beginning to get confused, he had thought the beast was moving on instinct but this one was using skill to overwhelm him. Marco knew it couldn't go on and bet it all on one last attack. He ran towards the wall away from the target, kicking the sword up into the purple lining of the roof. He jumped and the wall then pushed off with all the strength his worn out legs could muster. He grabbed the sword, taking it in both his hands forgoing his defence, and went for the shadow. The shadow seemed to be unable to move in time but once again it knocked the sword from Marco's hands. It's thick muscular hand grabbed his throat with ease choking the breath out of him. He grabbed at it when it used it's other hand to cover his mouth. It pulled him closer until all Marco could feel was it's vile breath on his face.

"Marco M'boy! I'm so glad it's not just me!" Marco was let go off, dropping to his knees. He looked up at the shadow above him closely and took note of some defining features it held.

"Sorry I had to manhandle you but I couldn't take it easy after all! With power like that you'd make a fine Knight one day but a excellent training partner any day!" Marco almost burst into tears with relief as he realised the cheerful target of his attack was none other than King River.

He had no time to appreciate the relief however as River grabbed him by the poof of his dress and dragged him through what appeared to be a hidden door in the tunnel. River sealed the door and held his ears to it as Marco was continuing to catch his breath. After a few moments River breathed a sigh before lighting a torch beside him. He sat down with Marco and looked at the boys condition. He was tired, bags appearing under his eyes. He was still damp from being outside and his skin pale. He probably hadn't eaten properly since the night before as he skipped breakfast and the adrenaline coursing through his body was devouring any energy he had left to give. River could see the blood marks underneath his fingernails and the bruises starting to appear all over his body. He had fought to be with him and reach this point. River reached into his beard and pulled out his beard meat. The boy needed it more.

"Here. Eat this." Marco caught the meat River through to him and began to chew through it without hesitation. The moment he provided his body with sustenance his fatigue returned. His eyes grew heavier and his body ached. He almost fell back in that moment but River held him up.

"It's not time to sleep just yet young Marco. I need your help." Marco looked up at River. He had always thought highly of the man and although they hadn't bonded in the same way he had with Moon he felt that there was a sense of respect and understanding between them.

"What happened?" Marco asked, getting straight to the point.

"Excellent question but not the one I should answer first. Before that, When you were researching Mewni did you happen to read one about the growth period female Butterfly family members have to go through?" Marco thought back and it didn't ring a bell. He shook his head in response and River acknowledged his answer.

"The best way to explain it... Hmm... Well think of it like how a frog monster goes from tadpole to frog. It starts when they receive the wand. A countdown begins on their biological clock and sometime later it begins properly. The power they use and gather within them starts to cloak their bodies. It's different for each member of the family, Moon's cloak was light blue for instance. They also awaken a new form. The extra arms and wings. It becomes a form of power for the magic users in the family. However, this time it's different. Usually the Princess' power is grown over time slowly, they take time with each spell and master it-"

"Wait! You're trying to tell me that... That THING! IS STAR!" Marco felt the goose bumps return as he remembered the fear he felt when he was hiding from it.

"Yes. It's my pumpkin. As I was saying, it's different this time. Star learnt faster and better than any Princess before her. She is talented, almost as much and if not more than the Queen of Darkness. She will take magic to new heights with her power but right now at the first phase of Mewberty she is being overwhelmed by her own power. Her cloak is unbreakable, her wings can make wind that cuts people down. She is stronger than even ten of me. She is being driven on instinct. As a girl of her age she is curious about boys. That curiousity has been driven to breaking point and caused her to hunt them all down and take them to her lair. Once she was done with the men she turned her attention to the women. No one was free from her hunt except me."

"Why you?"

"Instinct. I'm her father, she has no interest in me. Her mother, as one of her kind, was a threat that could not be ignored. That was what I thought at first. Now I'm not so sure. She can feel us in the castle. I thought it was just me and that my presence was keeping her here but I think it's you as well. She is sealing us in, making it easier to hunt us down and once we're hers she'll move onto the next target, all of Mewni." Dread continued to wash across Marco as he felt the growing hesitation in River's voice.

"What can we do? Is there no way to stop this? How did you stop Moon?" Marco quizzed hoping for answers.

"I don't know... Mewberty, what she's going through, it's a phase. It's meant to be a short lived trial that they have to go through, or that's what I was told by Glossaryck before he vanished. I think maybe he sensed it was beyond the normal phase and ran. Little blue coward. Moon stopped after about 8 hours. It was above average for a Mewberty phase but still not the longest on record. Star's been like this since this morning after you left it started. I'd estimate it's coming up to 12 hours now with no end in sight. I don't have any better guesses than this but if we can survive the night it should be over." River stroked his beard as he thought, he wasn't sure himself but it was the best idea they had.

"So we make it through the night and Star goes back to how she was before?"

"No exactly... She'll have these little wings and be able to tap into more power than before... She'll be stronger but back to the Star we both love." Marco turned red at his comment, even redder when River suggestively winked at him.

"So what's the plan?" Marco asked avoiding the topic completely.

"For now, get some rest. We should have a few hours of safety here at least and you can use that time to regain your strength." River threw a blanket at him and then took at seat at the door.

"Then we keep moving, leading her around enough that she's distracted. I doubt we can tire her out but maybe the effort will cause the phase to end sooner." Marco nodded and laid down on the ground. He tried to think about all the things he had just been told but tiredness overwhelmed him and he immediately drifted off. River smiled before getting up and putting the blanket over him. He found another and folded it into a pillow for him. He left his water pouch and the rest of his meat beside him before leaving through the door and sealing it behind him with the purple lining.

"A few hours might be a bit too much to hope for but if I do my part then I can at least buy that much for you. If it's a spirited warrior like you, I think you can help my pumpkin after all." River patted it down, smoothing out the edges until it appeared just like he had never been there.

He turned into the dark of the tunnel and began running. He waited until he reached a completely different part of the castle, away from his hiding spot and away from where Marco entered from and started to let out his battle cry. In the empty halls of the castle his voice rang loudly. He took a club and a shield from the wall and started to bash them together. The sound of clashing metal mixed with his cry to create a deafening sound. He hoped it wouldn't wake Marco but call the beast that was his daughter to him.

After a few minutes had passed River ceased his crashing to listen out for a sign he had been heard. He looked at the path yet to tread, all open doors and saw nothing coming his way but the path behind him, where he'd closed each door just in case was a loud booming sound. Doors being ripped off of their hinges and smashing onto the castle floors. River knew his strategy had worked and started running. Closing each door as he went River continued moving, he slid down the stair case and started to smash his shield and club again. He ran down a new passage and closed the new set of doors. When he had reached what he assumed was probably the fourth set of doors he heard a crash that echoed louder than the rest. She was at the stairwell, she was moving faster than he was, he had to change his strategy.

Abandoning the club he jumped from the window and used the shield to surf down the roof tops. He flew out into the cold night from the roof, carefully planning his next move. Unlike Marco, the kingdom was River's stomping ground, he knew each and every part of it. He also knew that if he happened to jump from that window, with enough speed, then you would fly straight through into the room where all the meat was being prepared for eating. If there was one thing River would trust his life with it was meat. He landed with a thud on top of piles of meat, grabbing a bit for himself and stuffing some more in his beard for later. He ran from the room straight through the kitchens and back into the castle. He knew she'd follow his scent and then to the meat. Now he smelled stronger than before and she knew what to look for. It meant he didn't have to worry about getting her to follow him, the hunt had already begun.

River slid across the main hall of the castle, his body dripping with water from his breath run in with the heavy rain. He almost dropped the meat from his mouth but held on with a grip that could rival even the most hardened carnivore. His heavy footsteps echoing as he ran. River jumped and slid across the table, already planning his apology for Moon when she found out he broke all their favorite plates. He landed with skill and kept running, heading down the stairs to the deepest parts of the castle. He closed the door and left a piece of meat to draw Star further towards him.

"This is the best I can do young Marco." He grabbed the rail that ran down the wall and hopped back onto the shield. He surfed down the spiral staircase as fast as he could creating even more noise while doing so. He was about halfway when he heard the loud boom that let him know his only exit was now no more. He leant further forward, gaining more speed until the very bricks around him became blurs. He zoomed down the stairs until he came flying off and crashed straight into the Wash's door. The crash was enough to faze him for a few seconds but he was soon back on his feet and through the door. Locking it and pushing all the heavy chainmail and armour in front of it to re-enforce it. He looked around for the Knight of the Wash but a few purple flakes let him know that the Knight wasn't spared the same fate as the rest of the kingdom.

River rushed into the lint catcher and slid under the lint monster until he was hidden behind the fan. As far as high defence shelter goes the place he chose was one of the best. With Star in her instinct form she would try to fly down the stairs with difficulty and end up either crawling down or falling. Either way would buy him time. He reached into his beard for his meat and ate all that he had left. Fatigue filled his body as it had done Marco's and his eyes shut to sleep. He was a warrior, a survivor and above all a man of the wild, he knew to catch his sleep when he could and took advantage of the time he had brought.

Two hours had passed when an explosion like sound jolted River awake. He still felt tired but he was much more fresh than he had been. His body ached from his running and his mind was full of confusion. The sound could only mean one thing, she had found him. He had hidden in the lint catcher for it's high defence. It was a machine meant for containing a monster on a daily basis so it was stronger than your average room. The other reason was the overwhelming smell that it gave off. A mix of the strongest floral and soap-like smells that kept the castle's clothes smelling great and the scents of all the residents were like an invisibility cloak he could hide behind. The creature wasn't the smartest, but it sure as heck wasn't stupid. It would find him eventually but that was part of the plan. He waited, patiently bidding his time.

Inside the lint catcher there was hardly a sound, just anticipation and the slow breathing of River. Without cause the creature wouldn't stir so he was safe from his closest danger. River waited.. And waited some more. The rooms air was stale, dry and humid. Beads of sweat began to collect in his beard. Gathering until they dropped into the lint. He heard a rumbling behind the door and knew it was time.

He grabbed the shield, an ally who had already served it's purpose many times over and smashed it against the back of the lint catcher. The sound echoing so loudly in his ears that his head began to ring in unison with the sound. The rumbling outside the room stopped. It seemed to disappear entirely until a tapping sound rang from outside. The creature had found the target but was unsure of how to get it. The tapping sound multiplied and began to spread. It moved from one side to the other tapping away like a primate or bird would tap a tree to find the best way to the prey inside. The tap it got from the door was unlike the rest of the catcher. It was a deeper sound, a more solid sound and the clue the beast needed. It wrapped it's many hands around the door and tore it from it's home. It's arms spread inside like a fluid pouring into a glass. It clawed it's way in and it's eyes began to scan the room. Ignoring the pink glittering powder it flew across the small space until it reached the fan. It could sense him and he knew it was time. Stepping out he faced the daughter-beast in all her glory. It's head tilted to the right, taking in his sight from a different angle. It looked almost disappointed to see that the target of it's hunt was the King. He stared it down, not wanting to move in fear of setting it off. Out of the corner of his eye he saw it started to gather and he smiled. His perfect trap was about to be sprung.

River threw his ally straight at his daughter, using the few seconds the shield blocked her view before being knocked away to start running for the exit. He slid under the gathering lint and jumped through the hole she tore. She span around and went to follow him when she froze in mid-air looking back with a tilting head again she spotted the lint that had started to coil around her legs. She tried to fly away but it's grip was strong, like a butterfly caught in a spiders web she was stuck. River had reached the door and began his ascent of the spiral stairs.

The Mewberty beast grabbed at the lint that trapped her and ripped it from it's source. She used all of her arms and strength to free herself when even more of the lint's arms reached around and grabbed her tightly. It's giant mouth opened as it went to swallow her whole. She tried to free herself but the number of arms grew even more until she was buried beneath it's lint and swallowed. The beast let out a burp of satisfaction and went to return to it's former form when a purple arm burst from it's stomach. It howled in pain as more and more arms burst out. Ripping large chunks out of it like it was nothing but cotton candy she burst her upper body out. The arms of lint tried to drag her back into it when a purple web burst from her hands. It stuck to the lint and pinned it to the wall. The creature tried to break free but it was now at her mercy. She fell to the floor and started to cough up the glittery lint before turning to the beast that had tried to make prey of her. She crawled towards it as it screamed in fear for the first time. She was almost upon it when something caught her eye. She looked down at the dented shield on the floor and smelt the strong whiff of meat coming from it. The juicy aroma spread through her reminding her of the target that drew her to this place.

A new feeling surged through the beast. It was driven by hunger, curiosity and an instinct to gather before... Now... It was rage that filled her. Overwhelming anger at the one who had caused this. The mindless beast was no threat to her but the man who led her to this pit was. It was a feeling she couldn't ignore, like the other who had blasted her before. She would find him and bind him... Leaving only the special one left.

Star flew from the lint catcher and smelled the air, she could smell him. She could sense the moves he took and she knew he would never escape her. She flew to the door and began her own ascent, hunting the very man who fathered her.

River, on the other hand, had made good use of the borrowed time he gathered to climb over half the stairs. He knew time wasn't his ally however as she would have learned how to move on the stairs and be on him. He just needed to get out of the stairway and then he could use the meat smell to lead her into another part of the castle.

Sweat streamed off of River and he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. The hefty toll of even reaching half way was draining all the energy he had regained. He would have to hurry, or it would be too late.

"...River?" Marco called out. He had woken minutes before to find the room empty. He ate the food left to him and drunk the water, his parched throat was grateful for the replenishing. He had to use most of his strength to get the door open. It had completely sealed from before. Marco wondered if the creature... If Star had done it when he noticed some of River's beard hair in the lining. River had sealed him in to protect him.

"...Not a man to underestimate and a King worthy of respect it seems. He put the safety of me above his own and must have led her away." Marco hit the mark easily as he started running towards the main hall. He still hoped that it would be the holding place for all of the residents.

Marco's instincts raged within him, telling him to leave, to run away as if he saved the Kingdom right now he would grow even more attached to it and to its people. He'd already started to feel like it was his new home and the willingness to leave had all but extinguished but Marco know he couldn't leave. The same mysterious feeling that pulled him closer to Star was guiding him again. As if the weight of all his failure and painful past was lifted briefly just enough for him to see clearly in front of him, just enough to face Star and not look away. As he flew through Mewni's halls he knew that he was doing exactly the opposite of running away, he was running straight to her.

Rounding the final corner he came across the staircase that led to the ground floor. The doors, like the rest, were torn from their hinges and even the bannister was shattered as something had sped through the kingdom. A cold chill suddenly blew in causing Marco to halt in his tracks. He felt the air to find the direction and rushed diagonally from his position down to a middle floor. The window that had let the breeze in was broken from the inside out. Marco looked down to see a connected building below with a similarly broken window. He was beginning to piece together the chase that River had led Star on. He looked at the glass shards and noticed some drops of blood. He wasn't sure which on it was but someone was hurt. He was worried, in that state of adrenaline River may not have noticed a wound, on the other hand, if it was Star in her state she may react differently to River's predications if she was injured. Either way, Marco had to move.

Turning back, to the crunch of the glass that had fallen inwards, he jumped on the bannister and slid down to the ground floor. He landed silently with a roll and broke into a sprint. He emerged in the entrance hall, one room away from the main hall and sensed something around him was off. Looking up he realised what it was. Hand prints, red ones, covered the roof like paths walked on a sandy beach. They showed the movements she took and acted as a final confirmation for Marco. All the trails led back to the main halls door and it meant that if the people were anywhere they'd be there.

Slowly, Marco crept up to the large doors before pushing on them with all his might. His body had recovered a little but was still drained and exhausted. He would need time to recover, after this, everyone would.

The door creaked open revealing darkness. All the windows and other entrances were sealed shut. Marco reached back into his bag and retrieved his shoulder torch he had stashed earlier. Strapping it onto his dress he turned it on. It's beam of light scanned the room to horrorfying results. Hanging from the ceiling were pillars of the purple lining. Attached to them in mass numbers were the residents and workers of the castle. Marco walked in carefully, scanning the room as he walked. He took note of the location of various individuals as the Knights and guards were grouped separately from the maids and cooks. Men and women too were separated as if there was some system to the body stashing. He kept looking around when a drop of liquid fell from above and landed on his forehead. His gaze flew upwards and he saw the King of Mewni bound in the purple. He rushed upwards, climbing the lining, until he reached River. He ripped the vines from him and carried him to the ground gently. Checking the pulse he confirmed he was still alive. Before Marco could do much else River stirred beside him.

"M'boy?" His voice was weak, Marco suspected as a result of the blood loss. He reached in his bag and pulled out some bandages, a sterile needle and surgical thread. He tore the King's shirt and got to cleaning the wound. River mumbled incomprehensibly through the pain so Marco paid it no mind, he had to concentrate. He made sure that River had no glass left inside the wound and that he had no internal bleeding before stitching up his flesh. He had done it to himself enough times that it was an easy effort and soon, after bandaging him up, he was done. He sat beside him looking up at the people strung like decorations and felt almost sick to his stomach. He wanted to tear them all down and free them from their imprisonment but knew now wasn't the time.

Marco realised River wouldn't wake up straight away and started to search around the room again. At the other end he found the other crucial target of his search. Queen Moon.

Like the monster Star had become Moon seemed to be some sort of butterfly creature. It gave all of Rivers words weight and removed any doubt Marco had that the culprit was Star. He was still being kept out of her magic lessons so didn't know a lot about their powers but knew they couldn't be trifled with. He had originally thought that the wand was the source of their power but after Moon had saved his life from Monster Arm he knew it was more of a conduit or a device to help channel the magic. Her body was covered in bruises and she looked like she would need a week at least to rest after this all ended. Marco thought back to the day before, since it was the early hours now, and remembered her smiling along with him.

He punched at the wall in anger, a feeling he hadn't expect to be feeling. He wanted to protect her. To protect River. The kingdom and above all. Star.

He turned to see her floating behind him. In silence their eyes met, his brown and her glowing hearts alligned and all of his feelings of anger, fear and resistance seemed to melt away. She drew in closer, the flakes of hearts falling to the ground around her. One of her many arms raised slowly and wiped a stray tear that had escaped his eye. He lifted his own hands and held hers to his face, revelling in her warmth. She wrapped the rest of her arms around him and he witnessed the world go dark. His instincts kicked back in as he used all of his might to break free and fall backwards to the floor. He ripped the purple blindfold she had placed on him off and jumped to his feet. Before she had a chance to grab him again he bolted across the room, out of sight and began to climb the many unconscious people inside the room.

She flew to the door and sealed it shut with her webbing before moving around the room searching for him. He dug into the webbing and tried to blend in with the rest of the unconscious. He watched as she flew down to River and began to smell the air around him. He knew what would happen next, she only couldn't find him because he had masked his scent but after she smelt there she would know where he was instantly. One thing Star prided herself on was her sense of smell and he knew just how good it was. He dropped to the floor, the webbing hid the sound of his fall and ran at her. Like in the tunnel he knew it wound be now or never, he would never get another chance. He raced forward, struggling against the unsteady ground, and jumped into the air.

He crashed into her with enough speed to send the pair into the castle wall. He tried to hold her down with all his might but it wasn't good enough, within seconds she had pinned his weakened form under her own. She picked him up and forced him onto a blank area of the wall. Her many hands got to work webbing his body up until only his face remained free.

She paused to look at him, her head tilting as she took in his form. She moved closer sniffing at his body before seemingly shaking with some emotion. He would have thought it was joy if he wasn't so crept out. She drew in close and opened her jaws, unsure what she was doing he pulled away and turned his head. He closed his eyes and waited but nothing came. He opened one eye to see what the hold up was when he felt a weight in his heart.

She had pulled away from him, a pained expression on her face. She began to frantically flutter around as if disturbed by something.

"You rejected her... And now she doesn't know what else to do. She finally caught the prey she was looking for and found the feelings she treasured not returned. I wonder what will happen now." Marco looked to his shoulder to see the little blue book keeper laying there. He stared at the situation with a nonchalant expression as if it was someone else's problem. Marco began to scowl at him when he reached forward and used his un-kept toe to turn Marco's head back to Star. She was banging her head against the pillars in the room and clawing at the scales on her skin. It was clear to see that she was trying to hurt herself he just didn't understand why.

"What do I do Glossaryck?"

"You? I'm not sure there's anything you can do?" Marco felt despair start to sink in as he noticed Star staring at the window opposite from him. She had broken it open with her struggles making it the only exit. He felt useless as he was stuck to the wall. He was beginning to think it was over when a groaning sound crawled closer to him. He looked down to see River dragging himself across the floor. He was careful not to tear his stitches but soon enough he had reached Marco and was pulling him free.

"River... Don't worry about me! Stop Star before she leaves!" River ignored him as he tore away at the purple web.

"There's nothing he, nor you can do I'm afraid. It's too late" Came another dose of Glossaryck's pessimism. River pulled Marco to the ground and brushed the blue misery aside.

"Ignore that old fool Marco. I am King of this kingdom, whether through marriage or not, I am a ruler. When you rule you start to see qualities in your people that no other could and right now I see in you the very thing I need to rescue my daughter. The storm crashes against my castle walls, my people hang from the roof and all need aid. I cannot rescue them alone so I ask, no I beg you Marco Diaz. Save her."

"How?" Marco's voice cracked as Star hovered above them. She had heard them talking and was watching them from afar.

"I don't have the answer Marco. It's not me that needs to reach her, its you. Like how you sung at the festival I need you to stand here, alone and reveal your heart. Please Marco." River pleaded desperately noticing Star begin to move to the window.

"Marco please..." Marco fixed his gaze of the fleeting Star above him and called out to her. He stood up walked towards her.

"Star!" She paused her flight and glided down to him. She held one of her hands up and he raised his and pressed it against hers.

He breathed deeply, feeling the cold wet air blow in from outside. He thought about what River had said to him as he looked at her once more and let his thoughts free.

"Heavy rain which floods the ground,  
Hides away my very sound,  
Through raindrops I scream out to you,  
But if you cant hear me what can I do?

The wind is blowing stronger,  
Than I can ever hope to be,  
My eyes can't brave the breeze,  
It's making a fool of me,

The thunder that crackles,  
And echoes all around,  
Is deafening me,  
With its almighty sound,

The lighting that crashes,  
And tore down the night,  
Has already blinded me,  
With its frightening light,

But against all that I face,  
I refuse to lose pace,  
I won't run nor can I hide,  
The feelings arising from deep inside,

A storm rages onwards,  
With dark clouds over head,  
Rain drops will keeping falling,  
Until all has been said,

I look into your face,  
Through the wind and the rain,  
I know that I've found my place,  
After all the hurt and pain,

I gaze into your eyes,  
As the sky plays a violent song,  
I no longer fear my demise,  
As I've found the home I belong,

I can't stop the rain,  
Or a single trick of the sky,  
I can't bring the sunshine,  
I won't bother to even try,

But these feelings inside me,  
That I cant explain why,  
Are a force of nature too,  
And that really is no lie,

If I'm a storm of darkness,  
Then you remain my light,  
And now the storm will end,  
As too does the night,

Your courage and your strength,  
That are stronger than the rain,  
The lightning and the thunder,  
Can no longer cause me pain,

I'm not sure if its love,  
That blew the storm away,  
But I know that its you,  
That brighten up my day,

I'm not sure if it's love,  
That made the sun so bright,  
But I know that its for you,  
That I make it through the night,

I'm not sure if its love,  
Or another force altogether,  
But I know if It's with you,  
We can make it through any weather.

The heavy rain will end,  
The wind will quell it's rage,  
The thunder finds its silence,  
The lightening leaves the stage,

The sky will turn clear,  
The clouds grow far apart,  
The only booming left,  
Is that of my pounding heart,

I cant say that its love I'm feeling,  
And I don't really know what to do,  
But like the storm that was no challenge,  
I have to choice but to place all hopes... On you."

He finished speaking and stood silently waiting for a reaction from her. She had remained still, listening to his words. She pulled her hand away and moved it to his heart before pulling away and flying straight out the window. He didn't even think before chasing after her. He ripped the web away and ran towards the front doors. Slipping on the wet floor he kept going until he was pushing open the doors and running out into the rain. He used his arms to shelter his face from the rainfall as he scanned the sky for her figure. He ran out across the muddy ground until he saw her standing there in front of him. He ran to her as she waited for him.

He didn't know what else to say or do so he just opened his arms to invite her in. She hesitated at first before rushing into him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, afraid to let go. He felt a shifting in his arms and looked to see the purple hearts falling off of her as if it was nothing more than glitter in the wind. The rain washed it away as they stood holding each other tighter.

"You came for me?" She whispered out to him.

"I always will." He whispered back. The pair remained there as the storm began to let up above them, leaving them to only the sounds of their hearts.

"Marco.."

"Yes Star.."

"I don't suppose you have some weird little gizmo that's going to make all this better?" Marco chuckled a little.

"No Star... But I'll be there beside you the whole time."

"I'd like that.." She added after a moment had passed. The pair didn't let go and instead kept holding on even tighter trying not to think of the work they'd have to do to fix what had happened.

"Marco.."

"Yes Star?"

"You look very cute in that dress." Marco froze, finally remembering the outfit that he was wearing.

"I can explain..."

"I hope so." Marco realised his hold on her and held her hand. He led her back inside where the citizens were slowly washing to the floor as the purple lining turned into a fluid like substance. The moment they walked through the doors Star ran to her father's side to make sure he was okay. Marco leant against the wall, sliding down and letting out a deep sigh. He closed his eyes and his body felt heavier than it had in a while. He could hear raised voices and Star frantically crying that she was sorry. He was about to lose consciousness when he heard a familiar voice.

"Thank you.." Marco smiled as he fell asleep. Moon picked him up and flew him from the room straight to the infirmary. She could tell from how pale he was and the multiple fresh bruises appearing on his whitening skin that he had been through a lot for them again.

She set him down on the bed, brushed his hair gently before disappearing back out from where she came, ready to pick up the pieces once more.

* * *

 **Shards of the Past**

A week passed quickly from the day of the princess' Mewberty. The residents of the castle, and those of the town, that came to help managed to restore everything back to a near perfect condition. Some people were experiencing nightmares and panick attacks due to the event so Star had been trying to stay in her room where she wouldn't frighten anyone. She was overcome with guilt and remorse. She thought at first it was because she had hurt the people she was destined to lead and protect but the fluttering of her newly grown wings told her otherwise. She was hurting because she had hurt him. She had hurt him again. Unlike everyone else who was captured and put into an induced sleep he had spent the day trying to survive first from an unknown threat and then to keep her safe.

She fell to the bed with her hands over her eyes. No one could see her but she still didn't want to show the tears of frustration that escaped her eyes. Mewberty was meant to be a quick event, lasting several hours, and posing no real threat to anyone. However, due to her abnormal magical growth, she had made a trauma for everyone involved. A light rapping at her door made her jump forward and hold it shut. She didn't want visitors. She didn't deserve them.

"Star?" Her heart sank further, it still wasn't him.

"Star sweetie. You need to come out or at least let me in to see you are okay. I'm worried Star." Moon spoke from behind the door. She was trying to be patient and understanding but now both of the kids in her care were hurting. When she got no response she went to leave but not before leaving a few words.

"...Marco still isn't back yet but I do believe he'll return to us Star. You should too."

Star heard the footsteps grow distant and returned to her bed. She crawled sluggishly to the bedside and took up his note. The ink had run due to her tears and the paper was crumpled from her holding it tightly.

 _"To Everyone,_

 _I'm safe and well. I have a few things I need to see to. I'll be back._

 _Marco._

 _P.S. Star, we can talk when I get back."_ The note was pretty self-explanatory Star thought but it didn't console her. He had healed up enough to move and left when no one was watching. She hadn't seen him since that day. He had promised to stay by her side throughout the aftermath but before she knew it he was gone.

She worried. She worried so much that he wouldn't come back, that he was hurt or even worse. There was nothing she could even do to help.

"I'd just star it up again. I can't help." She told her self before sliding off the bed and crawling to her wall mounted mirror phone.

"Call Marco Diaz." Star sat against the wall out of view as it responded to her request.

"Unable to call 'Marco Diaz' Individual not known by our jurisdiction. Please try another individual."

"Call Marco Diaz."

"Unable to call 'Marco Diaz' Individual not known by our jurisdiction. Please try another individual."

"Call Marco Diaz."

"Unable to call 'Marco Diaz' Individual not known by our jurisdiction. Please try another individual."

"Call Marco Diaz."

"I'm sorry, but you have exceeded your minutes. Your mirror service has been temporarily suspended. Please visit our office in Pixtopia to settle your bill." The girly voiced giggled and hung up out of view. Star crawled to the mirror trying it again and again.

"No..No..no.." She sobbed as she was at a loss of what to do.

"Dry those tears B-Fly. You're Bestie is here to make all the bad go away!" Declared a voice from above her. Star turned to see Pony Head posing for her. She jumped at the floating horse head hugging her tightly as if not truly sure if she was real or an apparition.

"Whoa there B-Fly, as much as this girl likes her love and devotion girl has to breath too!" Exclaimed Pony Head as she gasped for air. Star released her death grip on her and settled back into her bed. Pony Head looked down at her friend and was starting to wonder where the unbreakable warrior went and where the teenage girl came from.

"If that hooded turd has hurt you I'll-" Star cut her off shaking her head violently. She took a few seconds to gather her voice, stopping it from breaking and cracking.

"I'm the one." Pony raised her, carefully drawn on, eyebrow in confusion.

"Okay... Gonna elaborate? I'm a pro at reading into things. Like that time Spider-bite princess pretended she wasn't jealous of my beautiful new hair do. I knew the truth B, I always do... Except right now. I haven't got a clue right now." Star smiled meekly, happy to have someone so indifferent around.

"I'm the one who hurt him. I hurt everyone. Now he's left." Star explained. She passed Pony Head his note who looked at it curiously.

"Yeah... Yeah I see. So why are you crying?"

"Pony I just explained-"

"-No. Everyone is fine, no one will have lasting pain from all this biz and the hoodie turd is coming back when he's ready? So why are you crying?" Star was puzzled by her sudden logic but the pointed to her mirror.

"And then my mirror stopped working. I can't call anyone until I go to the Pixtopia head office!" Star looked back to see streams of makeup pouring from Pony's eyes. Her glittery tears mixed with the black mascara and dropped to the floor.

"Oh B-Fly that is so sad! Why didn't you start with that instead of all that other boring stuff!" Star wanted to take back her thanks for the indifference.

"Alright. Let's go." Pony Head spat out some scissors and cut open a portal before Star even had time to blink.

"What? Where?"

"So many questions B-Fly! We are going through this here portal. To Pixtopia HQ in order to get my girl her minutes back!"

"But... We should tell my mum first. She can probably sort it out a lot quicker than I can. I'd probably just Star it up." Star admitted dejectedly. Pony paused her usual indifferent self to look at her friend. She was hurting in a way she had never seen before. Pony hadn't really been able to be there for Star at Ocean's funeral and she regretted it.

"Star. Where's the girl who would rather send a kingdom to war than let her mum catch her in trouble? Where's my warrior princess who would rescue me and beat up anyone who was mean to me? Where's my beautiful and courageous Star Butterfly?" Star looked up from the ground with a weak smile.

"Right here.." Star whispered.

"Sorry? I can't hear you?"

"Right here." She said slightly louder.

"Strange... I think someone's speaking but I still can't hear them?"

"Right here!" Star yelled loudly almost surprising herself.

"There's my beautiful girl! Now let's go on an adventure. No parent talk, No depressing talk and most of all No talking about hood turd." Pony Head went to go through the portal and then paused.

"Actually girl first we gotta get you a shower and some clean clothes." Star looked down to see stains and dirt on her clothes. She wasn't sure the last time she changed them.

"I'll wait." Pony closed the portal and then went over to Star's mirror to fix her makeup.

 _"How does she even put the make up on?"_ Star questioned in her head before rushing into the shower.

Moon heard the shower running from outside the tower window. She had purposely let one of Pony Head's friends hear that Star was upset so she'd rush over. She cut the mirror line off to give them a reason to leave the tower. Moon hoped the over confidence Pony naturally flaunted would rub off on Star enough to get her own confidence back. She flew back down to River and Glossaryck who were waiting in the garden.

"Did it work my queen?" Glossaryck asked between bites of his pudding.

"Exactly as you said it would. Now if she can just get out and about I think she'll be okay." Moon looked back at the tower full of worry.

"She'll be fine moonpie! She's made of stronger stuff than most! She's your daughter after all." River remarked proudly. His injuries were still a little sore but mostly healed.

"But I had you River. When I was broken or weak I had you there to bring me back from the dark place."

"She's not alone my dear. She has us, her friends and our charming knight."

"Whose no where to be found!"

"I thought you said you believed he'd return?" Glossaryck cut in with a smirk.

"I do. But how is it that no one can find him. None of the council have a single clue about his location. Even Heckapoo. I thought she might be hiding him but she was more worried than me. I would like to know how exactly they spent their time together before but neither will talk."

"So what is your concern? That he has vanished without a trace or that he has always had the ability to do so? It seems like the secrets he holds have no end in sight. To evade even my sight means he has means of vanishing that I am not aware of. Since I know all magic, it confirms once again that his abilities are not magical." Moon paused before replying. She had no idea that even Glossaryck had looked for him. It was a slight hope she had hidden. If even he couldn't find him then they had no choice but to believe in him.

"Worrying and asking pointless questions will get us no where! Let's just see to what we can do rather than what we can't." River laughed jollily before jumping up and heading back into the kingdom.

"He has a point." Moon admitted. She stood to follow when Glossaryck spoke once more.

"And what of the rumours that someone is hunting him down? There have been several accidental deaths connected to the boys past. The most recent being that poor fortune teller." Moon froze hearing the last detail. She wasn't aware of her being connected to the deaths.

"But it was deemed just a simple robbery gone wrong?"

"Of course, because it was made to look like that. Each and every death has the same signature, that being that they are too perfect of a death, lacking doubt and suspect is exactly what makes them dubious. The Fulbright kid sent his concerns over as well. Perhaps instead of looking for the boy, we should look for who is looking for him. We might finally get the answers we have always sought." Moon stood silently and then nodded to the small blue man. They both headed in and prepared to do what was needed of them.

 _*Encrypted Transmission detected.*_

 _*Decrypting Now.*_

 _*Transmission Ready. Play now.*_

 _*Lone Hunter_ Secure Channel.*_

 _"Reporting In. As requested I have continued my deep observation of Mewni. Moving around isn't easy, they are wary of outsiders. At first the people seem lax and inattentive but have noticed several tails following me._

 _I dealt with them accordingly. I made the deaths appear like monster attacks. More details send through separate report._

 _Update: Drunken rumours speak of something called "Mewberty". Unsure of the significance to the suspect but it appears he is absencent from the castle. I will continue to secure my position here until new information comes to light._

 _Additional Notes: If you feel compelled to send additional hunters as I've requested please ensure that they are somewhat competent. Hunter 002* is now buried in an unmarked grave. See separate report for more details._

 _Lone hunter out"_

 _*Transmission ended*_

"So have you ever been here?" Star asked as they walked through the streets of Pixtopia. They waved to all the pixies they passed enjoying the vibrant scenery all around.

"Me? No B-Fly I would not come here if I didn't have to."

"How comes Pony?" Star looked over as Pony shuddered.

"They creep me out..."

"The Pixies?" Star almost started laughing thinking about it.

"Yes the Pixies! Look I'm a girl of a higher calling and I can tell when something is off. Now these Pixies are off."

"Seriously? What do you mean?"

"Look!" Pony Head used her horn to gesture to some Pixies that were floating over to them.

 _"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to Pixtopia!_

 _In Pixtopia, we love everything,_  
 _With our pixie hearts and our pixie wings,_  
 _We are friends with every frog we meet,_  
 _Even our bathrooms smell so sweet!"_ The pixies sung together before floating over to try and kiss them on the cheek when Pony Head swatted them away.

"Clear off flying freaks! Never heard of personal space!" The pixies frowned at them before disappearing into the trees.

"See B-Fly!" Star nodded after feeling a little crept out from their song. The looks of disdain on their faces when Pony rejected them reminded her of something that happened during training.

 _Star stood scanning the forest with her eyes to soon find herself looking at the sky. Her back against the ground let her know she had been knocked down by him again. She closed her eyes and waited for him to end the session._

 _Silence._

 _More silence._

 _Star shot up. She couldn't see Marco at all. He had completely vanished from the surrounding area. Star stood up and started looking for clues as to why he had just left her. Was it a new game? A new form of training or something else?_  
 _Star found some broken branches leading away from their location. The footprints and claw marks on the trees told Star that it wasn't Marco that had left them. Worry filled her. She ran towards the source of the trail before coming to a cliff overseeing a furiously flowing river. The current was strong, driven to greater heights due to the large amount of rainfall they'd been experiencing lately._  
 _Star looked over to the other side to see Marco holding onto the cliff, about to fall into the water. Above him stood a monster, Marco had described them as 'bear-like' before so they'd taken to calling them Bear Monsters. Star rushed forward, using her spells to propel her and kicking the Bear Monster away from them both. She reached down to grab Marco when she saw he was gone. She started panicking and searching for him when he emerged from a hole in the cliff face carrying two Bear Monster cubs. Marco struggled against the crumbling earth but managed to get back up. He put the cubs down who ran to their mother who held them tightly when crying._

 _"Thank you Sir, I fear without you I would have lost both my children." She rushed forward and hugged Marco. He disappeared in all her fur and when she let go he looked a little confused._

 _The Bear Monster cubs climbed up on her mothers back and they all went to leave. The mother spared one last look of disdain at Star. Star felt guilt flood her and sick at the back of her throat. All her talk of trying to make the Kingdom better and not judge people and she had done just that._

 _"What's the matter Star?" Marco asked, clearly sensing something was wrong. Star explained what she had done and now how she was feeling._

 _"Don't feel bad Star... It's my fault for not explaining. If I had said something maybe we could have rescued them even faster. I was about to end our lesson when I heard someone running frantically. I approached her and she went to run away from me. I managed to get her to believe I meant no harm and she explained the situation. I just ran, without thinking, to help. Their burrow was close to the river to make food more easy to get and to work as a natural defence but the recent floods caused a landslide. The mothers weight was too much to scale the cliff without causing more landslides." Marco's explanation didn't help Star lift the feeling that were weighing her down. In fact she felt even worse, there he was, a hero who rushed to anyone's aid without judging them and there she was, attacking a mother only trying to save her children._

Star thought back to the mother's face. She had been attacked and judged. Star had assumed the worst of her and in return she received that look. Star thought the look was similar but felt like it was for a different reason. Bear Monster's look was because she wasn't the things Star had assumed her to be, the Pixie's, however, Star felt like they were more bothered that they had been seen through. The pair could see the office in the distance and started making their way towards it.

/

Marco panted heavily as sweat flooded from his body. The heat of his environment and the heat of battle were taking their toll on him once more. He felt a cold sensation touch his head as he opened his eyes to see that Mephisto had brought them drinks. Marco sat up and slid over to a shaded piece of land. Mephisto sat down beside him and the pair drank in silence. When he had finally finished his drink Mephisto decided to ask the question that had bothered him for days.

"Marco, don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?" Mephisto had enjoyed the boys visit. They had taken a trip to an abandoned and inhospitable part of the Underworld, away from prying eyes and distraction. With Marco here, Mephisto had a worthy sparing partner to test his powers on. He could fight with technique and skill and since Marco was strong he could even work on combining his demon magic with his martial arts. He was much stronger now than he was before Marco came. He knew it to be true but still wondered why the boy had turned up so damaged to his abode.

"I needed somewhere to heal away from those who would blame themselves for my injuries. I felt weak, I was useless to stop what happened and if I hadn't gotten lucky I would have lost everything again." Marco continued talking and finally explained to Mephisto what had happened with Star.

"So the Princess went through Mewberty? I had known of the process but not of the dangers. You said hers was unlike any others?"

"Yeah... According to the little blue bookworm, Star's Mewberty was the most powerful and violent of all the previous Queens of Mewni." Mephisto pondered on the words before replying.

"But isn't that a good thing? It shows she is strong both in body and magic? A goal I set for myself, I can recognise her strength is profoundly higher than what anyone would have expected of the Rebel Princess years ago."

"It is good. At least I think so. Star, on the other hand, blames herself for hurting people. She worries they'll never forgive her. That I won't forgive her. I had to leave because me being around would have hindered her recovery. I trust Moon and River. They'll find a way to cheer her up. In the mean time, I have to become stronger. I'm not just fighting against the normal now, Magic can be my enemy. I need to know how to fight magic users and how to train them." Mephisto smiled. _"So without hesitation you rush to become better to be of better use to her... And yet you still hide your feelings Marco?"_

"Well you came to the right place. I doubt you would find one more attune to giving you hands on experience than me."

"I know. If you used your magic in the Tournament I doubt I would have beat you."

"I don't know Marco, if you could use your weapons and tools it would be a very close fight. We both have our strengths and weaknesses. I, myself, am not someone who is good wielding a weapon. You, however, have fine control over blades, swords and even spears. I am sure you have mastery over more. Maybe next time you could teach me some."

"Next time?"

"Yes, it's time for you to leave Marco. I have enjoyed your company and the growth we have both experienced but it is not wise for the Hero to keep the Princess waiting." Mephisto joked. He knew how much Marco disliked being called a hero but took note that for the first time he didn't complain. The reason was simple, he was her hero no matter what he thought.

"...Thanks Mephi." Marco replied. He knew the demon was right.

"Your welcome Marco. Now there is one more small thing I feel like you should be aware of..."

"What is it?"

"Your princess and the Prince of the Underworld have history. I do not think he would ever hurt her but as someone close to her you could be a target. Just be careful not to get yourself in harms way. I'm looking forward to the rematch next year after all." Marco just nodded in response taking his words to heart.

"Marco, what is your mirror phone number by the way? I've not been able to connect to you by using your name alone?" Marco turned to him confused. The demon stood with his own red and black mirror phone in hand. Marco had contemplated getting one many times but never got around to it. As much as he knew that the Pixies could be trusted he didn't want to leave a paper trail for him to be followed. He had used a disposable phone he had found before but it had been broken recently.

"I don't have one." Marco replied. Mephi groaned before clicking his fingers. His clothes were set aflame and before Marco's eyes the demon went from wearing his usual training garb to wearing a black suit with red tie. He offered a hand to Marco who took it and was pulled up. Marco felt a heat wash over him as he watched his clothes change before his eyes. Like Mephisto he lost his training gear and was now dressed as if he was attending an evening ball. The only difference was that his hoodie was underneath the suit jacket leaving the red hood poking out.

"I took the courtesy of using both clothe changing and cleaning magic. You were in no state to go there as you were."

"Go where?"

"Pixtopia Marco."

"Look Mephisto, I'm not sure it's a good idea-"

"Hush now. It's beyond time for you to lay some roots. I want to be able to contact you and you should be able to contact me. If anything were to happen I'd like to think you'd request my aid. My own wishes aside, the Princess must worry as she has no way to contact you." Mephisto explained interrupting Marco.

"She doesn't need to worry, we're always together."

"Are you together now?"

"No."

"Then I take it she is worried. Regardless I won't take no for an answer. Let's go." Mephisto made his scissors appear and cut open a portal. His scissors looked as if they were flaming and would burn the user but the more you looked at the flames the more you understood there was order to them and that they would never act in a way unfitting of them. Heckapoo had once said to Marco that while the individual is taking part in a trial their essence and their time there are added into the flames to forge the scissors. They are a part of you, an extension of yourself to grant those worthy the freedom to explore dimensions. It's the final part of the trial. The scissors own judgement. If they break or are too warped it's because the user isn't worthy or is too corrupted to be able to wield them. Marco admired Mephisto's scissors as they were a flame controlled. His very nature was burning bright but disciplined and moving with honour. He felt it really defined the owner.

"Fine but this isn't going to become a frequent occurrence." Marco replied stubbornly. Mephisto started to laugh.

"Oh Marco, as much as I'm sure our adventures would be grande and the stuff of legends, I wouldn't take you away from your Princess." Before Marco could retort that Star wasn't his Mephisto had already jumped through the portal and disappeared. Marco groaned loudly again realising that the Demon would be leading him around all day. One part of his personality that Marco had not appreciated as much as the rest was his age. Demon's lifespans were many times greater than his own. Marco wasn't even sure how old he was but he'd place it in the several hundred years or even a thousand. With age comes experience and that was something that Mephisto flaunted. He could usually tell exactly what was going on and see through most people. It was his nature to do this that let the two become friends as he saw the good in Marco where he, himself, couldn't. However, sometimes he used this to tease Marco while trying to guide him in the right direction. Their tournament fights were full of lectures and discussion among the intense battle. The audience thought they were trading insults and trying to psych each other out but it was more likely that the Demon was offering him advice or telling him about a new recipe he had discovered. Marco appreciated it. He didn't have many he could trust but Mephisto was one he could and he had helped him a lot, not that Marco would admit in fear he'd up his game.

Marco sighed before stepping through the portal and joining Mephi in Pixtopia.

/

Star and Pony squeezed into the office and wondered why they had built a visitors office in the same size as the small Pixies.

"Next." Called out the Pixie clerk from behind the desk.

The pair walked up to the clerk who sat waiting impatiently. Star thought she looked cute in her purple dress and glasses. She wondered if the Pixies had their own tailor or if someone just had jobs making small clothes.

"How can I help you today!" She said with a forced smile. Star looked at Pony who nodded for her to go forth.

"Erm, Hello. My name is Princess Star Butterfly of the Mewni Dimension. I'm here to talk about my mirror phone account that has been suspended." Star explained politely. Almost immediately the fairy's demeanour changed to a much more friendly. Star remembered what Marco and her Mum we're trying to explain to her. _"It's important to address people properly for three reasons. It shows that you of status are aware of your position. It shows you are respecting the individual you are speaking to you and finally-"_

 _"-Its just good manners and good manners can get you a long way."_ Star had taken note of how much her parents liked Marco who had given a formal introduction with the proper manners as oppose to her other friends who hadn't.

"Well Princess, let me just look up the details." The Pixie looked through her system and then back at the magical screen before turning it to Star and Pony.

"It seems that numerous calls were made to an unknown individual. Although the connection wasn't established we have to charge per call as stated in your original agreement. On our system it seems that your mother established your account so you may not have known these details. The problem can be easily solved by paying off your overdue bill." She finished with a smile before pointing to the amount needed.

"Awesome! So Pony do you have any money on you?" Star twirled round to face Pony. Pony immediately shook her head.

"Sorry B-Fly! Girl like to travel light, ain't nobody making this Pony pay for everything. Did you not bring anything with you?"

"No... We left in such a hurry that I forgot..." Star replied. The Pixie clerk picked up on conversation and her smile faded quickly.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that Princess. I'm afraid without the acceptable gold or jewels you will have to work off the bill in the Shard Mines." Star noticed the Pixie looked a little guilty as she reached for a button which opened the floor beneath her. Star didn't have time to move as she began to fall. She disappeared into the trap as Pony stayed floating. She looked at the hole then back at the clerk who nodded at her.

"Wait up B-Fly!" Pony yelled after her before flying through, the trap door closing behind her.

Star felt the air grow heavier as she landed on the ground with a thud. She quickly took note of her surroundings. She had been dropped into a mine shaft with wooden beams acting as supports. Lining the walls and ceiling were large, sharp looking, light blue shards. It made sense to Star quickly why they had called this place the Shard Mine. She brushed the dirt off of her before looking up to see Pony pretending to fall into her arms.

"Pony... Why did you follow?"

"Solidarity my girl! We are in this together!" She declared proudly. Star was grateful for the support although wondered if it ever crossed Pony's mind to go and get help. Star took note of the ladder next to her as the first viable exit when a shrill voice started to order them about.

"Welcome to the Shard Mines ladies. Now get to pickin'!" Looking at the Pixie it looked like his skin had been bleached by the shards themselves as his whole outfit, skin and winds were almost the same shades of blue as the shards. His green eyes seemed to enjoy his authority and his voice seemed to be full of arrogance. Star took note of that. It could be useful later on.

"Yo short stack! Don't you know who you are talking to! I am Princess Pony Head and this is Princess Star Butterfly!" Pony smiled confidently until the Pixie laughed.

"Yeah? And I'm the Duchess of Daisyland!" He started laughing again while he unhooked his whip. Pony knew when she was getting sass and immediately started to charge magic in her horn when a big beep stopped it.

"Oh did I forget to mention? This mine blocks magic. Now either start mining, or I'll start whipping!" Pony was about to charge at him when Star grabbed her and pulled her away.

"Thank you sir. We'll get straight to it." Star grabbed a pickaxe and started to mine. Pony followed suit and after a few minutes the Pixie floated off to whip a few others.

"What the heck B-Fly! Why are we doing this!?" Pony looked up at her horn which now was dirty and with marks. She couldn't hold the pickaxe in her mouth, or just refused to, so had been using her horn to mine some shards.

"I've never heard of this place. I've been researching Kingdom's for weeks with Glossaryck and Marco and these mines were never mentioned in the books. Meaning that it's either a secret from the other Kingdoms or a new thing. Given how old this mine shaft seems I doubt it's the latter. Now Pony Head, why would this place be a secret if people who had paid their bill off had left?"

"Well that's easy. They just chose not to talk about it?"

"Really? So when we get out you aren't going to tell everyone about this place? Think about it. The people who haven't paid their bills are here. The people who talk the most. All I can think of is that whoever has come here before never left." Pony sharply turned to Star.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes Pony. It's finally time." Pony began to shake with happiness.

"SCANDAL!" She yelled loudly. The Pixie taskmaster turned back to them so they went back to digging.

"Yes a scandal. One you can uncover but this also means that it could cause political problems. If it got out that Pixtopia were detaining members of other kingdoms, even their royalty and keeping them as slaves it could cause some major problems. We need to save everyone here and get out without doing too much damage."

"...You talking about a good old jailbreak!" Star knew by now that she had lost Pony to her imagination but would make good use of her for her plan.

"Okay Pony. I'm going to need to know how devoted to this plan you are? Like you ready to get a little rough?" Star asked. Pony looked at her with a gleam in her eye.

"B-Fly. Just tell me the plan." Star smiled knowing that if Pony was set to it, she had a good ally to get out of this with. She let her thoughts drift to Marco once more. She was sure that if he was here he would have already started his plan to save everyone in the best way but this time he wasn't here, it was all on her. She looked around to the others inside the mine and came up with her final stages of her plan.

"Okay Pony listen closely. I need you to cause a distraction, a major one. It might get you in trouble but until I give the signal you can't fight back. While you keep their attention I'm going to speak to the others here and see if anyone has the strength to fight. I saw someone coughing up what looked like glitter earlier. I don't think we can take everyone with us. We need those who can help us escape to come back to save the others. Once we get them we'll hop on the exit mine cart over there and keep going. No matter what we do we have to escape the mines and get somewhere we can use magic to call for help. You understand?" Pony nodded before floating a little down the mine shaft.

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no." Pony started to say loudly. The taskmaster and the guard both took note and started to float over to her. Star began her rounds asking all the magical people and creatures who had the strength to fight. Pony kept going with her performance.

"HELP! HELP!" She screamed as she flew towards the roof. She used her horn to knock down some shards in the direction of the Pixies, they flew away to avoid being hit but kept trying to get closer. The taskmaster drew his whip and started to try to whip Pony Head. She looked past at Star who was finishing her plan and gave a thumbs up. Pony bit onto the whip and pulled the Taskmaster into her. She slapped him to the ground with her horn. The guard tried to run away but was immediately caught by Star. She knocked him unconscious and tied the pair up. She turned to the crowd who had gathered.

"Slaves of the Shard Mines. My name is Princess Star Butterfly and I am here to help. I spoke to you all and those who can help will aid me in escaping this place. Once I am free I will send help and inform the Magical High Commission of this injustice. I will have you all freed. I just ask that you wait a little longer and believe in me." None of the audience cheered or responded more than a quick nod. They were tired and exhausted, some nearing the end of their days if aid had not come.

Star rushed to the mine cart as Pony and two others followed. Pony gave them a once over before floating over to Star.

"Hey B-Fly, I'm all for the revolution but an old weird dude with bad fashion sense and a Minotaur aren't exactly the army I had envisioned." Star chuckled before hugging her friend.

"Great acting there Pony. We are the army, me and you. Wiz said that if his magic returns he can help us a lot and Mino said he may be tired but he is still strong and will put up a good fight."

"Wiz and Mino?"

"Wizard and Minotaur. We're strangers so code names are okay for now." Once again Pony's eyes sparkled as her imagination grew wild.

"Wiz, Mino, Princess and Mrs Fabulous!" Star chuckled before looking back at the exit sign.

"So this is the way out?" She asked Wiz and Mino.

"Sorry but that's the bathroom-"

"-Like fried eggs."

"-There's no way out. Not that I've seen." They explained. Star looked at the sign and wondered something.

"Have you ever tried to escape this way?"

"No." They both replied seriously as they could. Star wondered if anyone had even tried to escape before.

"Come on." Star hopped into the mine cart, followed quickly by the others as it started to speed down the tracks.

/

Stepping out of the portal by the entrance to the main reception Marco took his first look around. It reminded him of the cartoons he use to watch as a child with all the brightly coloured surroundings. Mephisto immediately clicked his fingers to get his attention.

"Listen Marco, this place may seem all sunshine and rainbows, and it kind of is, but it also holds a strangeness to it. The Pixies get offended easily and people have been known to go missing when trying to pay their bill. The disappearances are few though so no one has really looked into it. Just watch your step, although I guess you're the last person I need to tell that to." Mephi chuckled before stepping into the office. Marco looked around again and noticed how many Pixies were watching them. He took Mephi's words to heart before following him once more.

"Next."

"How can I help you today?"

"Hey beautiful. You can help me by letting me pay my bill and setting up an account for my friend over there." Mephisto pointed towards Marco who waved awkwardly.

"May I ask why he is only seeking a Mirror Phone now as opposed to his coming of age?" The Pixie asked while searching for Mephisto's account. He slid over some jewels to pay for his account. Marco remembered them, they were blood diamonds. Diamonds so red that they looked like blood itself and seemed to gleam as if they were fresh. He knew they were pretty valuable so was curious as to how much the process cost.

"Hmm this seems acceptable. Payment for a new phone for yourself and the end of the billing period... Hmm.. It says here your 50 year payment isn't for another three years? Would you be making an early payment?" Suddenly it made sense to Marco, when the race lives as long as the Demon's sometimes do it would be annoying to pay your bill so often as for them it would feel like days apart as oppose to a year so the service lasts longer.

"Yep, bill me up and I'll be paying for the next 50 in advance this time." He placed another bag on the table. Marco noted how behind her glasses the Pixie stared at the jewels hungrily. They liked treasure it seemed.

"Answering your question from before. Our boy here is from outside of your broadcast zone. Where he comes from they don't have your phones so he never got one before." As he explained the Pixie stopped counting and turned to Marco with a frown. She took off her glasses and floated over to him.

"I'm sure you are mistaken sir. There is no where our phones can't reach and we are unparalleled in every market. Unless you go with the inferior 'fairy' products you only have our phones to go with. I'm afraid lying on your registration can lead to trust issues down the line and excess charges." Mephisto started to smile. _"Even that little can offend I see, noted for the future."_ Marco was glad he hadn't mentioned he was using a borrowed Fairy Phone up until recently. He had used it to call Hope last but it had broken during one of Star's 'random attack surprises'. He hadn't told her since he didn't want her to feel bad. Marco, himself, liked the Fairy Phones. They were considered inferior because you had to memorise someones number to call them and it was only audio which most people found annoying but Marco, he found it nostalgic and familiar.

"My dear, if you honestly feel we are mistaken could you not easily prove it? I believe you have a race registration crystal at hand? No?" Mephisto was prepared for this. He had known for a while just Marco was not Mewman and definitely not from any world he had been to. He didn't bother digging up the boys past as it wasn't his business but also was curious enough to want to confirm his beliefs.

"As you have stated we do indeed possess that crystal, however, it is only for use for paying customers as a special service." She pushed up her glasses and floated back to the counter. Mephisto winked at Marco suggestively. He nodded back taking the hint.

"Erm in that case, may I sign up please?" Marco asked politely. The pixie was still annoyed from their comments but wouldn't let her frustration risk a potential customer.

"Of course sir, may I ask what you shall be paying in?" She pointed to a sign that said "Gold and Precious jewels only." Marco turned back to Mephi who only smiled at him, offering him no help.

"Do you have a preference?"

"Excuse me sir?"

"Is there any particular jewel you would like me to pay in? I'm unsure of what would be best and if possible I'd like to pay in a way that you would find agreeable." Marco tried his best to make the interaction more favourable but the Pixie clerk only found it more insulting. One usually pays with the gems and jewels of their home world. If he was from a unknown world he would have unknown jewels. In her frustration she decided to play a trick on the boy.

"I see sir. In that case I would like to request the Black Heart of the Damned?" Mephi's form stiffened as he heard the words. He had only heard of this in legends lost to time. A gem so rare that it was not even guaranteed to be a real thing. He knew if the Pixie was asking for it then it was a test, one that surly had no right answer. Marco thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"The black heart? Is that the gems real name or just the title given by those who have seen it?" The Pixie wondered where the boy was going with his questions but answered.

"Those who have witnessed it described it as blackened heart, clotted with the blood of loss. Only those who would hold such a heart would truly know the path of the damned." She had longed to see it for herself ever since she was but a pixiling. A gem so rare even the Queen had not seen it. Marco realised what she was talking about finally and reached into his bag. Placing a gem on the table.

"I think this is what you mean. Where I come from it is called Painite. Named after the mineralogist who first misidentified it as a sapphire. This particular one has the ruby variant of Corundum on the outside. I think that's what gave it the heart name as ruby is often red. I guess if you wanted to give it a name I'd call it a Ruby Cloaked Painite. It is probably one of the rarest gems you could hope to find. Would this be suitable payment?" Marco smiled innocently as the clerk's wings began to flutter in excitement.

 _"The black heart.. the black heart is before me.."_ She went to reach for it when a hand stopped her. She looked up to see the Demon holding the stone in his hands.

"Well.. this is unexpected Marco but really I should not be surprised. You were the one who gave Diamond Tiger Lilies to the Mewman royalty as a greeting gift after all." The pixie froze. She had heard rumours of such a gift being given to the couple but they had dismissed it as a joke. No one sane would gift such a valuable item as a greeting present. _"no.. it could be true."_ The pixie thought to herself. Mephisto tossed the rock up and down in his hands. The pixie felt her heart ache as she worried for the gem.

"Sir please... Be careful with it." She asked him desperately.

"But why? He has not agreed to pay with it yet, after all, since it is so rare how can we be sure of its worth. Maybe we should go and have it priced. Put it on auction at a dimensional gathering and you might gain wealth beyond your dreams. A gem of legend, now that's a sales pitch. I mean, maybe it was a mistake after all to bring you here Marco." Mephi smiled looking at the flabbergasted Pixie. She wanted, no, needed the gem. She had longed to see it but now it was before her she could not let it go.

"Please... I'll do anything." She whispered to the pair. Mephisto smiled widely.

"Perfect. You see, my boy here has some... Special circumstances. He has to be careful with his well being and I'm sure you would hate for something to happen to such a customer who could probably bring you all the gems you desired. Now we'd be happy to pay you this gem, personally, so you would retain the rights to it. However, it is known that all customers are kept as public record and can be called. For Marco, that would endanger his life. If there was only something you could do." The Pixie quickly scanned through her office before pulling up a contract.

"This. This is a magical contract to those of higher nobility. We often deal with royals and it wouldn't be proper of those without connections could reach them. With this, only those whose presence is felt in the owners mind can call. You wouldn't be able to call if you weren't someone they would want to answer the call to. It's a special service we offer. If.. if you were right and you were the first from a new world you would be considered the first contact. An ambassador or royal perhaps. I could make it so you are exempt from the public registration and are kept in only the minds chronicle."

"The minds chronicle?"

"It is a special power of the Pixies. We store the most treasured secrets and history inside so that no one can share them. Even I wouldn't be able to share them." Marco felt quite guilty for how desperate the Pixie lady was. Mephisto was clearly trying to help Marco with his secrecy but it felt wrong to do. Marco knelt down before the Pixie desk and pulled out a Pink Ruby Lotus. The Pixie looked like she was about to faint.

"In that case, would this be enough to pay for it and the Black Heart would be my apology gift to you for the trouble we have caused you." Mephi passed the gem to Marco who placed it in front of the clerk.

"But.. it's worth is untold. To gift it to me... It's unheard of..."

"Well that would be perfect, since we would like it to be like we were never here after all!" Mephi chuckled.

"This is okay?"

"Yes." Marco reassured the Pixie. She fetched all the paper work and let Marco sign without touching the gems. Finally she brought before them the crystal.

"Please place your hand and blood onto the crystal." Marco held his hand up and Mephi quickly cut open a small area for him. He placed it on the crystal as some strange writing appeared on it.

"What does it say?" Mephi asked.

"Unknown origin, one similar sample detected." Marco stated.

"Sir you can read Pixian?"

"I studied a lot of different languages." Marco admitted. The Pixie was astonished by the boy. No one, in all her years working had ever known her language.

"giwns rof yinflg"

"giwns rof aorsgin." Marco replied in Pixie tongue. She smiled a new kind of grin they had not seen before. Not one for face or one for customers but a genuine one.

"What was that?"

"A Pixie greeting. I won't go into the details but it means to live free."

"Strange. You never cease to amaze me. Anyway, what did it mean by one similar sample?"

"It means that we once scanned someone, or someone brought us blood of someone from your race. The crystal doesn't contain unnecessary information but it as you said, your world is lost to us. Would you please tell me the name of your race... For the minds chronicle of course?" Marco hesitated. He had never even told Star such words and now he was telling a stranger and a demon. If he was a child this is usually how the hero falls into a trap in his stories but this was real life and he trusted Mephisto at the very least.

"Is this room sound proof?" Marco asked the Pixie. She stood up and waved her hands.

"nelices lwil lafl nad yses lwil huts. Het cretsts vedaerle lwil rofveer merani covunsidrede." A small glow seemed to appeared around the Pixie before turning into a butterfly that flew around the whole room sprinkling it's light.

"And what was that?"

"Sound proofing." Marco smiled as the Pixie beamed at him.

From outside the window all that could be seen was Marco lips moving slowly as he told his story. The Pixie covered her mouth in noiseless shock as tears formed at her eyes. The spoken words were lost to the outside but those inside hearing them felt the heaviness of Marco's secret. Marco felt a small weight leave him as he finally said the words that had haunted him out loud to others. Mephisto's face darkened as he heard these words.

"Marco. The Earth Dimension vanished from existence. I know that the name itself was lost with it so how can I remember it now?"

"On the last days I spent on my world we faced a threat. Someone who I dare not name was seeking our knowledge and power... to build a weapon unlike any other. We knew we couldn't win, that our days may be numbered so we did what we had always done, build. Our greatest minds, the best technology and the height of our science and engineering came together to create a device called a perception filter. To anyone who had never been to earth its existence and location would become a forgotten memory. It would be lost to all but the sons and daughters of Earth. I mean, My planet didn't have it's own source of dimensional travel or magic so the people who knew of it were just a few. Unfortunately it seems the threat I spoke of had walked my world's soil but unlike me they forgot it's location. I am hunted as I am the only one not on my home world that could lead them there. I want to return. To return to my people but if i do I will lead the very evil that intends to use us all and end our lives."

"This is why you run? Why you are always on the run?" Mephi felt like all the answers were coming together. Like every strange quirk the boy had was making sense.

"Yes."

"How long have you been running.. sir?" The Pixie asked. She wasn't sure if it was allowed but she felt like she had to know.

"I don't know... I feel like I've spent my whole life running.. I have some memories before they came but now... All my memories are just filled with the dark and the horrors it hides." Mephi slid against the small rooms wall and felt his mind ache.

"Earth.. Mankind? One of our kings of old once ventured to the planet Earth. Lucifer. He went to try to find his wings after someone had thrown them through a portal as a joke." Marco started to chuckle.

"That's the true story behind the devil? On my world he is seen as the embodiment of evil. The fallen Morning star. God's most loved son who lost his wings for his hatred of humanity." Mephisto joined in the laughter.

"Your story makes him seem a lot cooler. He was rumoured to have returned and told stories of the hunters of man who would, clad in metal and wood, chase him until he finally found his wings and returned."

The three chuckled since none of them knew what to say. Finally the Pixie spoke.

"Sirs, if you would please sign, we will complete the contract and the secrets spoken will be returned to our minds and never be spoken again." Mephisto and Marco nodded before the trio signed and the scroll turned into smoke which seemed to be sucked into their mouths and vanish for good.

"Okay, I'll release the spell."

"One second. You may want to hide this." Mephisto pointed at the black heart on the desk. Marco quickly grabbed a pen and parchment and started to scribble something down before pressing his bloody thumb onto it.

"Here."

 _ **"I prove to thee,**_

 _ **The one who holds this deed has been granted personal ownership of the 'Black Heart of the Damned' and for no reason should the stone be removed from their possession unless it is their wish.**_

 _ **Marco Diaz."**_ And underneath was the same but in Pixian. The Pixie beamed a big smile before grabbing both the deed and the stone and hiding them in her desk. She waved her hands and the spell seemed to be absorbed back into her when a loud banging started at the door. A Pixie rushed in yelling.

"There's been an escape in the shard mine! The two princesses have lead a mutiny and are heading towards the palace. All Pixies are to gather and help subdue them." And without another flap of a wing the Pixie vanished. The Pixie clerk sighed heavily before turning to the others.

"There is something I should probably tell you Sir Marco and I don't think you will like it."

/

 **Meanwhile at the same time.**

Star wondered as the wind blew past her face whether or not anyone had ever tried to make riding a mine cart into some sort of attraction. It was a blast as she raised her hands in the air and laughed as they sped up and down the mine. She watched as a flurry of blue shards lit the way until the mine cart started to rise and the passage filled with light. Star wasn't completely sure what had happened when she looked up from the floor at the room full of Pixies.

 _"For some reason their mines are connected to the throne room. That confirms this isn't just a small scale operation but a royal sanctioned one."_ Star rose from the ground, ignoring the blades pressed against her throat. She, herself, had mistaken the idea that a larger weapon meant a better one. The Pixie's choice in blades told her everything she needed to know. They weren't combat trained, just putting on airs. She looked at the large throne at the top of the stairway. Once again, another thing she took note off. _"Blades too big for their bodies, thrones too grand for their figure and a sense of needing to feel right. They are like children play pretending to be both royalty and warriors."_

"Who goes there?" A small voice called out from the throne. A small, but undeniably cute, Pixie flew into the air. Her wings seemed to shine more than any others but it was the tiny crown upon her head who told Star who she was speaking to.

"Greetings Pixie Empress. I would love to say it's a pleasure to meet you but I am here under unfortunate circumstances. My name is Star Butterfly, crown Princess of the Butterfly Kingdom of Mewni. I am here with one of the Princess' of the Pony Head Kingdom as well as some brave prisoners. I, myself, was subjected to the cruelty of your mine and know that it is unsanctioned and undisclosed before the Kingdoms of the Dimensions. An illegal and unending slavery beneath your very kingdom. What says you?" Star gritted her teeth as she faced the Empress. She wanted her to deny it. To explain that it was a mistake and that it could all be accounted for but unfortunately Star's wishes were to be denied.

"I say... How about you be a good little brat and go back to where you belong?" The Empress smiled with the same fake smile all the Pixie's had greeted her with.

"That's not going to happen."

"I see. In that case, Guards! Kill them all!" Star ducked dodging the blades that were aimed for her neck with ease before knocking the weapons from the Pixie's hands and knocking them unconscious. She turned to her allies to see that Wiz had created a defensive barrier to protect them while Mino swatted the Pixies and Mrs Fabulous blasted them away with her horn magic.

Star swiftly moved along the room knocking each and every enemy to the ground.

"Hey B-Fly? Why don't you use your wand and blast all these flies away?" Pony yelled out as Star back flipped to avoid being impaled by some spears.

"I haven't used my magic properly since my Mewberty. I don't know what effect it had on me and if I can even control it. I told you before that we need to neutralise but not kill as we don't want to make this situation any more complicated than it already is." Star grabbed one of the spears, tore it from the hands of the Pixie who wielded it and used it to swat the rest of the guards away. Star was just one stairway from the Empress when she felt her body grow stiff and she fell to the ground.

"lalf orfeeb em nad seace uryo rglusget." Whispered the Pixie Empress as she floated down to Star with a smile.

"You really thought you could defy me? Without even using your magic? Has the Rebel Princess grown so arrogant that she forgot her family history? To crush each and every other race who questions your families actions with your overbearing and vile magic?" The Empress forced Star to lift her chin and face her.

"What now Princess Star Butterfly?" She laughed loudly and took her eyes off Star. Star felt rage growing inside her and once again without realising her cheek marks and eyes began to grow. She broke free from the spell and grabbed the Empress tightly. The remaining guards tried to help but with a wave of her arm everyone else in the room was sent flying straight into the opposing wall.

"Wait... Stop.. You said you wouldn't kill." The Empress stated still arrogantly. Star's head tilted at her words as an innocent smile crossed her face. Like a child who catches a butterfly and tears of its wings with no ill intent. Star grabbed at the Pixie's wings and began to pull on them. The Pixie Empress screamed in pain as her right wing was torn from her body. Her purple glittery blood ran down Stars hands as she held the wing up. She was fascinated by it and went to repeat the same with the other one.

"Please... Please don't do this... Please I'm begging you." The Empress cried in pain as Star edged closer to her wing.

"Enough." Came a voice from behind them. A small click of his fingers and the room was filled with flames of every colour floating in the air. They began to circle Star as she let the Pixie go and stared at the flames. She was drawn to them and their beautiful colours blending. When she finally went to reach her hand out her eyes went dark. She felt his hands cover her eyes and felt the power leaving her.

"It's okay Star. I've got you now. You did so well and I'm proud of you." He spoke softly in her ear, the warmth of his breath caressing her skin made her face flush red. She held his hands, still using them to cover her eyes as tears started to flow from her eyes and she let him comfort her.

Mephi picked up the Empress and her stray wing before bringing them to the Clerk. She placed the wing back into position before closing her eyes and focusing her magic.

"Yda ot githn, rakd ot githl.  
Lalf hte nasds fo mite.  
Tle hte reyas ikle hte regas  
Fo a ckloc nidwnu.

Ni uryo nidm kwal hrguotth mite,  
Ckba ot tebetr yasd.  
Oriemesm, kile a radem,  
Sawh resat waya,

Kile a arts ni hte ysk,  
Kerdsasn n'act cerah uyo,  
Githl hte githn, oyj si githl,  
Litl hte wen wadn,

Sact waya, uryo lod cafe.  
tle og uryo itpse,  
Htwi hist sakm Lil ska,  
Ot roborw uryo githl." As the Pixie clerk sang lights began to float towards the pair, they enveloped the Empress until even looking at her became difficult because the light was too bright.

"What is she singing?" Mephi walked over to Marco who was still holding Star.

"It's a song of healing. Old and powerful but one that stood the test of time."

"Can you do that?" Mephi asked with genuine curiosity.

"Magic is in the blood."

"What?"

"Magic is in the blood of it's wielder. Any race capable of magic can use the spells of another but it will never be the same spell. If you spoke those words it may not be a song of healing but instead of song of unhealing instead. The magic in your blood would react. However, my blood contains no magic, I can't use it no matter how hard I try. I'm a non-magical being after all." The pair looked up as the Pixie clerk floated over to them.

"It looks like she'll be just fine. I'll handle everything here including the abolishing of the mines. For far too long they have been a thorn in our races sides. You should head back to your dimensions." She explained looking back at the Empress.

"Are you sure that's wise? We are responsible for hurting the Empress?"

"It's fine. My sisters an idiot but she usually does what I tell her."

"Your sister?" Both Marco and Mephi said in unison.

"Yep. I'm the big sister to the Empress over there. The Pixie Mirror service is the primary income of our dimension, as such it has to be handled by the royal family. I should have been Empress but knowing my sister we would have been ruined in days. I took the Clerk job and let her act out as Empress. Usually she doesn't cause that much trouble though." She turned back to find both of the men bowing to her. Star was still in shock and wasn't really reacting though.

"What are you doing?" She asked confused.

"Well, you are a royal of this dimension and we have shown you so much disrespect from threats to blackmail." Marco explained. She chuckled before floating down to them.

"We had a deal. I will honour it and I expect you to as well. I love my job as a clerk as I get to meet new people and hold all sorts of beautiful gems and you gave me the rarest of them all. Regardless of what happens today. Marco Diaz, you and your people are friends to the Pixies and to the royal line. If you ever want me to repay the debt I have taken this day just give me a call. You have the phone to do it now." She winked before cutting open a portal for them all. Wiz and Mino grabbed an unconscious Pony Head and fled through the portal. Marco picked Star up and went to leave when he noticed Mephi wasn't following.

"Mephisto?"

"I'll stay here and help clean things up. I still feel a little bad about toying with the Clerk over here. Plus I am extremely curious as to what her name is." He chuckled before moving to help gather all the unconscious Pixie's.

"He doesn't know?" The Clerk asked with a smile.

"Apparently not." Marco smiled before taking Star and leaving the dimension. He wondered how long it would take Mephi to realise that to Pixie's names were useless. They considered their duties as their titles, as such, the clerk was only known as The Pixie Clerk. He already knew her name.

Marco stepped from the portal and found the two others waiting with Pony in arms.

"Erm.. Can you do me one last favour?" He asked the pair who nodded. He reached for his scissors and cut open a portal.

"This leads to her dimension. Can you take her home and explain the situation, I'm sure you would be rewarded for your efforts." The pair agreed and disappeared through leaving them alone.

Marco carried Star until he found a small spot on a flower field. He laid her down and laid down beside her. His body was tired from his training and his mind felt heavy after talking about his past. He let his tiredness take him and drifted off to sleep.

 _"Hey stranger, thankfully it's been a while." Marco opened his eyes to see her hollow eyes looking back down on his. He sat up and saw the stars of Mewni above him. Beside him Star slept peacefully._

 _"Hey Janna." She pulled him in for a deep hug and unlike the last time they saw each other in his dreams he returned her hugged her back. The pair let their eerily silent embrace continue for a few minutes before she pulled away. A stray tear escaped over the holes in her mask. He leant over and wiped it away for her with his sleeve._

 _"You drying my tears now Stud-co?" She said with a chuckle before ruffling his hair._

 _"I'm sorry Janna." She paused and went to lecture him when she noticed him smiling at her._

 _"What for?"_

 _"For ignoring you last time. I shouldn't have done that."_

 _"Wow... My little Marco has grown so much. Jokes aside Marco, you don't need to be sorry. This can't be easy for you, or for anyone really." She looked up at the stars and smiled, not that he could tell._

 _"I'm trying to do what you asked of me."_

 _"Marco... You know I'm not real. I'm just your memories coming together to tell you what's really happening in your heart. Janna is dead, they all are. It's the real reason I wear this mask. Janna never got to be a teenage girl, to go on dates and have parties and the works."_

 _"It's because Janna wouldn't, she'd probably be camping in graveyards or summoning demons from other dimensions, which by the way, is possible."_

 _"Ha ha you are right there. Janna would have done that."_

 _"So what did you need to tell me?" Marco asked his heart hoping for an earnest response._

 _"You can trust her. Something is coming, you know it, you can feel it and when it does you will need her and everyone you can get. From the psychic to the demon, there are troubles growing. The hunter may never get his prey but he still draws close. Be careful Marco. Troubled times are coming." Before Marco could ask what she meant she had already disappeared from his side. He sighed loudly before laying back down and letting his eyes close once more._

 _"Marco?"_ Her voice was raspy and quiet. It was more like she had whispered to him than spoke to him. He felt her hair glide across his cheek letting him know she was right above him. He opened his eyes to meet hers.

"Hey Star." She wrapped her arms around him tightly and held back her tears this time. He was back, just as he had promised.

 _"You left me..."_

"But I came back.."

 _"I was worried about you."_

"I was worried you would be."

 _"But you came back."_

"I'll always come back to you Star."

 _"But I didn't have any way to find you."_

"I know but I found a way to fix it for you."

 _"Marco... It hurt so much... I hurt so many people."_

"That wasn't your fault. I should have protected you."

 _"You can't protect me from myself Marco. No one can."_

"I can try and I will try. I can't ever lose you Star. I won't ever."

The pair looked into each others eyes before pulling back into a hug. Marco had to hold back his own tears as she shook in his arms. She wasn't crying but it took everything she had to achieve that.

The pair laid back down and stared up at the stars above them. Star had loved his projector but nothing beat looking up at the real stars with someone special.

"Star.."

 _"Yes..."_

"I think it's time for a deeper conversation. There's so much we don't know about each other. I think it's time we changed that.

 _"How do we start?"_

"Asking questions I guess..."

 _"Like?"_

"Is your favourite colour blue?"

 _"Do you always tell the truth?"_

"Do you believe in outer-space?"

 _"Now I'm learning you."_

 _"Is your skin as tanned as mine?"_

"Does your hair flow sideways?"

 _"Did someone take a portion of your heart?"_

"Now I'm learning you."

 _"And If you don't mind,_  
 _Can you tell me,_  
 _All your hopes and fears,_  
 _And everything that you believe in,_  
 _Would you make a difference in the world,_  
 _I'd love for you to take me to a deeper conversation._  
 _Only you can make me._

 _I've let my guard down for you,_  
 _And in time you will too."_

"And if you don't mind,  
Can you tell me,  
All your hopes and fears,  
And everything that you believe in,  
Would you make a difference in the world,  
I'd love for you to take me to a deeper conversation  
Only you can make me,

Does your name rhyme with mine?"

"Star.."

 _"Yes Marco?"_

"I'm not from this world."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you again for reading! Just wanted to credit the last song as 'Deeper Conversation' by Yuna. It's a fantastic song :) And if anyone missed the reference to the song of healing I hope this helps**_ watch?v=EEhpKadFfRA _**I hope we will get the next chapter out a lot sooner and that you continue to enjoy our Marco's Legacy of Loneliness :3**_

Additional note: New highest word count XD Hopefully a longer story makes up for a longer absence! Sorry again!


	9. Chapter 9 - All About A Boy

**Legacy Of Loneliness #9  
**

 **A/N: Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year from myself and Mr Black Cat. We'd like to thank everyone for reading and those who reviewed :) We look forward to many more chapters as Marco continues his legacy of loneliness.**

* * *

 **All About A Boy.**

"So we're doing this again!" Star yelled out in frustration. She whipped her hair from her face as she locked eyes with the foe before her. Her form was perfect and her mind focused yet for some reason the Princess found herself struggling. She could see Marco in the distance fighting the remaining members of their attackers.

"Of course Star Butterfly! We'll always be doing this routine until our demands are met!" Ludo cried back almost tonelessly. Star fired another blast of cupcake magic at Ludo but he swiftly dodged. She had to duck as a frog like creature swung for her. She moved back, taking down the Lobster monster before trying to spot Ludo again. He had upped his game for their latest encounter, she wasn't sure why but it seemed like he knew her more than she knew herself at the moment.

Marco jumped up and kicked the Beard Deer to the floor before jumping over him to his other two opponents. Ludo had gained more followers it seemed but they weren't as well trained as his core team. Marco had to admit that maybe Ludo had taken the beating from Star more seriously than before. His monsters had started to use their unique forms and abilities more than before. The Beard Deer had charged at him with his antlers drawn ready to impale the boy but Marco was faster still. He jumped with haste to avoid the long and powerful strike from the Giraffe Monster, it wouldn't break bones with the force but it wasn't far from it. Marco made sure to avoid his kick as well.

"Hiyaah!" Star shouted as she karate chopped the Three-Eyed Baby. He fell to the floor screaming as she had hit him in his third eye. She made quick work of Bearicorn using the moves Marco had taught her. As much as she was performing his skills perfectly and her own power was not lacking she felt wrong. She knew why as well.

"What's the matter, Star Butterfly!?" Ludo screeched as he rushed out from his hiding spot to attack her. She went to grab him when he quickly jumped over her hand. He used her own body against her as he ran up and scratched her face. She flinched as the small scratches he gave her ached like a hundred paper cuts. Star had no idea why Ludo was gaining on her but Ludo, Himself, had a bit of a clue. Ludo looked over to Marco beating up his goons and then back at Star. He had to admit the boy was right that the Princess was changing. Her hits were all non-lethal and her mastery over magic had astounded him, he knew the wand was powerful but the extent had only really become clear after observing the Princess for so long. He made sure to wait until she had recovered from the Mewberty crisis to attack this time. His monsters had been telling him to attack while the red karate boy was missing and the Princess was upset. She'd be an easy target. Ludo of the past would have jumped at the chance to face a weakened foe but after seeing her protect him from what she thought was Marco about to kill him, he realised that the boy had been right. The Princess may just be the hope for Mewni, Ludo wanted to believe as much. However, Ludo didn't have to luxury of waiting for change, his men demanded action. He had used his authority to force them to train, grow stronger and more powerful using the Princess' newfound strength as an excuse but the men were growing tired of training without an attack. He used this chance to attack to show that his men needed more training but he knew they were doing well against the pair. Given how understanding Marco had been Ludo had realised the boy was someone who had seen things and experienced how cruel the world really could be. Ludo knew that the Princess' lacking right now must of been something to do with the boy. While Ludo was focusing on dodging the Princess' attacks and Marco was gearing to take down the Giraffe Monster, Beard Deer had recovered from Marco's attack and snuck up behind Star. He grabbed her and using all his weight pinned her to the floor. She yelped out in pain as it used it's antlers to pin her neck to the ground. She couldn't move in the position she was in and had dropped her wand. She watched as Marco back flipped over the Giraffe Monsters neck before kicking it in the throat.

"My weak spot!" Chocked the Giraffe Monster as Marco turned to see Star on the floor. He panicked slightly and hesitated for a moment. It was in that moment when Bearicorn, Buff Frog and the frill-neck monster dog-piled onto Marco. He wasn't expecting it and couldn't quite reach his bag either. He was pinned looking at them from afar. Ludo froze as he realised that somehow they were winning. He looked down at Star, only seeing the back of her head but could tell that she was crying tears of frustration as she tried desperately to stand up. He looked over at Marco and met with his brown eyes. He knew what they were both thinking, this was wrong.

"No.. No.." Ludo whispered to himself as he tried to think of how to stop what they were doing.

"Somebody grab the wand!" A cry came from one of the dog piled monsters! Ludo panicked as he wasn't sure what to do. Lobster Claws walked over to the Princess and went to pick up the wand when Ludo yelled at him.

"Wait!" Lobster Claws took his eyes away from where he was reaching and looked at Ludo. He smiled proudly as he grabbed what he believed was the wand.

"Booyah! I got it! I got it!" He laughed with glee.

"What the?" Ludo said in shocked as everyone else gasped.

"You got clawed!" Lobster yelled before looking at the Deer antler in his hands and yelling out Eww. He threw the antler away as Beard Deer looked at it familiarly. He realised it was his left antler and screamed. Freaking out he let go of the pressure he was putting onto Star which gave her a chance. She kicked off from the ground sending him flying off her. She grabbed her wand and felt her power surge.

"POISON CRYSTAL CUPCAKE KISS!" Star fired her spell at all the monsters sending them flying. Bearicorn tried to eat one only to be hit in the eye and screamed in agony. Marco kicked off the rest of his attackers and running to Star.

"This was fun but we gotta' go Star." Marco told her, He knew Ludo would need to get away now so was trying to find an out.

"But my backpack?" Star asked as it came flying in there direction.

"Here." Ludo yelled throwing it to them. The two thanked him before running off leaving them in various degrees of pain and humiliation.

"...But I almost had it.." Lobster was almost crying as the other monsters were comforting him. Ludo opened a portal before calling over to them.

"All right, monsters. You know the drill. It was a good effort today! A little more training and we'll have it." Ludo was forcing himself to hide his smile at their failed efforts. Unfortunately for him, one monster noticed his glee.

"Let's go monsters!" Ludo waved each of his monsters through the portal making sure to remind them to rub some dirt on their wounds and take care of any cuts they had. He was about to close the portal and go through when he noticed Buff Frog walking away from him.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you're going, hm?" He called out to Buff Frog. He turned to face him with a dark expression.

"Go home and celebrate how close we came today. Buff Frog has something he needs to answer." Buff went to leave when Ludo ran over to him, grabbing onto his arm.

"What? After that performance we know how amazing we are! We need to celebrate!" Ludo tried to persuade. Buff jerked his arm free before turning back to Ludo.

"I quit." Buff walked off leaving Ludo standing there confused. Two-headed monster stuck both heads through followed by Beard Deer who was now holding his antler.

"Boss?... What just happened?"

"I don't know." Ludo replied honestly. He walked back to the portal, throwing one last glance at the spot Buff had vanished from before leaving and closing the portal behind him.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

"Star... We need to talk about that? How did he get the drop on you?" Marco asked cautiously. She hadn't spoken since the attack and he was now rubbing some cream on her neck. When Beard Deer had pinned her down he'd bruised her neck quite badly. Star didn't mind as bruises were just signs showing you could take a hit but Marco knew that it worried the people when she was hurt.

"...I just lost focus Marco.."

"But, why?"

"What do you mean?"

"How could you of all people lose focus in a fight? I've fought you Star and I know that there's no way you'd lose to them?"

"I can't always be my best Marco!" She argued back. She felt a little attacked from all his questions. It hit him then what was the reason she had been off.

"It's because of me... Isn't it?" He went to move back but she grabbed his hand.

"Don't stop... And don't go... It's not your fault. I'm just trying to understand Marco."

"Star... I told you what I could.."

"Marco.. You dropped on me that you weren't from this world but that was it! You won't tell me where you come from? Why you ended up here? Or Who you're running from?"

"I never said I was running?"

"Marco." He wasn't sure why but the way she said his name as she looked at him with her crystal like blue eyes. Nothing hidden just earnest feelings were radiating from her eyes. His guilt grew more but he knew it had to be this way.

"I can't Star. I shouldn't have told you that much... I shouldn't have even-"

"Don't you dare!"

"What?"

"You were about to say you shouldn't have even come to Mewni!"

"Star I-"

"No Marco. You were meant to come here! We were meant to be together! Exploring and adventuring! Doing this and that! It's the way things are meant to be!"

Silence fell between the pair, both knowing that saying any more would lead to more arguments. They had been on several small adventures together since their deeper conversation. From cloud riding to joining Moon and River on royal visits. Each just seemed like a small distraction in their lives, like a page rather than a chapter in their stories. Marco had regretted opening up to her as it had caused her nothing but bother whereas she was so happy he had started to open up but was also frustrated he wouldn't tell her more. The pair couldn't quite get back into their sync and it showed.

Marco finished applying the cream before sitting with his back to hers. They both looked up, feeling each others warmth but both thinking they'd never been further apart. Their moment of unnerving reflection was cut short as some leaves shook in the direction they came from. Both turned to see Buff Frog standing there staring at them. They tilted their heads in confusion but because of how they were sitting it caused them to bump into each others. They both winced in pain as they stood up and faced their enemy.

"Thought we were done for the day?" Marco questioned as he took his stance. Buff raised his webbed claw to stop him. Marco paused before actually taking the time to look at the monster. He was a large pale green mewmanoid frog with yellow eyes, dark green lips, and webbed wings on each side of his head. He had a bulky upper body but Marco still thought his short legs made his body look disproportionate. He wore a dark green, tunic with spiked shoulder pads and Ludo's family crest on his chest. Marco was a bit jealous he had a black belt as part of his uniform but buried that fact in the back of his head.

"Greetings Karate Boy and Princess Butterfly. My name is Yvgeny Bulgolyubov, but you may call me as my allies do, Buff Frog." Star and Marco just stared at him, both still confused. Star was the first to reply.

"Greetings Buff Frog? As you know, my name is Princess Star Butterfly of the Mewni Dimension. Royal Heir to the Butterfly Kingdom." Marco stifled a chuckle as he realised Star had used her formal greeting since she was unsure of how to respond. She elbowed him in the ribs then nodded for him to introduce himself.

"Pleasure to meet you formally, My name is Marco Ubaldo Diaz. Titled name, The Red Knight and friend to the Princess." Star almost snapped her neck as she turned to look at Marco. She had heard him refer to himself formally as her friend as if it meant as much as any title but she hadn't heard him middle name before. She knew it was a sweet attempt to cheer her up by telling her more and as much as she didn't want to admit to herself that it had an effect the big smile on her face gave it away.

"So Buff Frog, what can we do for you?" Star asked since after Marco introduced himself they had all gone silent.

"What have you done to Master Ludo?" He asked sternly. Star looked over at Marco who shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"He has changed, he no longer seeks the same as he once did."

"Marco... I mean, this is probably just a monster trick right?"

"I don't think he's faking it... I think he thinks we did something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. But we can't just leave him like this." Star smiled as she looked at him. If it was her old self she would have asked why he cared, been shocked he would even want to help and protest that he's just a monster but Star had grown and changed since meeting Marco.

"You're right. We should at least try to help him." The pair turned back to Buff Frog who stood waiting attentively.

"Can you explain more?"

"Master Ludo has always been a detestable and pathetic excuse of a lord." Both Star and Marco were both thinking the same thing. _"Burn."_

"But what he lacked in skill he made up for in heart. Master Ludo saved Buff Frog from the swamps and persecution of the Mewmans. In return I have served him most faithfully."

"Okay.. So what's changed?"

"He has become... Competent." Marco started to laugh before realising he was serious. Marco had always thought that, while he wasn't much of a threat, Ludo was at least probably one of the greater minds of the monster races. He wasn't a genius but he understood many things that others could not.

"And that's bad?"

"He has had us training for weeks now, we have grown stronger and more powerful. Seeing his new drive and passion for Monster Kind many have joined our numbers. We grow in strength."

"Is that really the sort of thing to tell your enemy?" Star asked politely.

"No, To an enemy this information is of great value and should be kept hidden." Buff retorted. Marco knew what he was getting at but waited for Star to get it.

"You don't think I am an enemy?" Star asked surprised.

"Princess, I am a spy. I see many things. I have seen you grow and try to be the best you can be from the moment that Kar... That Marco Diaz came into your life. While you may be unaware, I was present at the passing of your Grandfather Ocean. A wise and powerful man. I believe you are on track to follow in his footsteps."

"Okay? But what does this have to do with Ludo? Or me being an enemy?" Star had flinched at the mention of her grandfather, it was still a raw wound to her but she appreciated the Monster's kind words to her relative.

"Master Ludo could have taken the wand today. Buff Frog witnessed his hesitation. Buff Frog saw him smile after he successfully distracted Mr Claws from taking the wand. I believe he seeks the time to believe in the Princess but he cannot. If Master Ludo sides with the Princess as things are now we will lose all hope of ever reuniting Monster Kind. Buff Frog is sure you do not know this but Master Ludo is akin to Marco Diaz in that he is seen as the hope of a people." Marco was disturbed to hear this suggestion.

"Wait? What do you mean by that?" He asked a little annoyed.

"Marco Diaz, The Red Knight, The Princess Sitter, The Safe Kid or any of your other names. Marco Diaz is considered a hero and a future King. The people consider his presence a blessing and would probably rally to any cause he raises. Buff Frog is sure of this intelligence. He has heard rumours of those who would fight for him. For Marco Diaz." Marco was left dumbfounded by the knowledge, Star wasn't surprised. In fact she was sure it was the tip of the ice burg with Marco, if he rose to fight, he wouldn't be alone.

"I still don't understand?"

"Buff Frog acknowledges that the Princess is not an enemy to Monsters but right now she is not an ally. In time maybe but right now if Master Ludo sides with you... Monster kind loses their last hero and champion. No matter what, until a time arises where we can bury all old grudges... Monsters and Mewman's must not unite." Buff's voice shook as he said the last sentence. They could see how much it hurt him to say it.

"Why?"

"Monsters are good. Mewmans are bad. Monsters are Bad. Mewmans are good. Neither is true but neither are wrong. Buff Frog wishes for peace above all else and for Monsters to live how they wish but if Monsters lose their champion now they shall never have the strength to rise again."

Star stopped asking questions and thought about everything he had said. How her actions right now could affect everything. Star still wasn't sure if Monsters could be good... She had been taught for so long that there was only bad and she, and her family, were the good. She knew this can't be true... Not really but to be told something all your life and then find it wrong is hard. She looked at Marco for an answer but only found a warm supportive smile waiting for her. He was trusting her to make the right decision.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked after a few minutes of deep thought.

"Star Butterfly must be strong, stronger than us. She cannot lose and must remain an unreachable goal. She must be our enemy until the time is ready. You must stop holding back so much, the night on the hill you showed us strength that shook us to our core but today it was controlled and tame. The Rebel Princess of Mewni must not dull her claws, surely a time will come that Mewni will need that strength." Star nodded silently as they came to an agreement.

"So what now?" Marco asked him.

"I will return... Although it may be hard."

"Why?"

"I quit... My absence may be questioned."

"I have an idea... Can you open a portal to Ludo's headquarters?" Buff nodded as Marco explained his plan.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

Much later that day a large yelling sound was resounding the forest as Ludo's forces pushed onto the location Star and Marco we standing in. Behind them Buff Frog was tied and bound on the floor.

"IT WAS TRUE!" One monster cried out as Ludo pushed his way to the front. He looked at Marco who smiled back.

"What is this!" He yelled.

"Wha ha ha! Well looks like you caught me! Yes it's true! I used my magic to hypnotise Buff Frog into quitting and then took him hostage! I was trying to get all the knowledge he held but he refused to give it up to me. He believes too much in Ludo's cause and his companions to ever betray them! Curses!" Star yelled loudly. If it had been anyone with significant intelligence it would have been clear that she was just reading a setting that had been prepared but to Ludo's forces it just made sense that it was true.

"I KNEW HE WOULDN'T BETRAY US!"

"Buff Frog! We have come for you!" The monsters yelled. They rushed into fight but Star and Marco were prepared with full force. Within seconds all the monsters were on the floor in pain. Star walked up to Ludo and kicked him to the floor.

"You will never beat me! You will never have the wand!" She pointed her wand at Ludo as it glowed an ominous purple. The monsters all cried in fear as they thought their leader was defeated when Buff Frog came running out of no where and knocked her flying. She pretended to pass out so Marco grabbed her and yelled back at them.

"You got lucky this time! If you ever want to beat us and protect your master then you must grow stronger, much stronger." He disappeared into the forest as Buff picked up Ludo from the floor.

"Yvgeny?"

"Master Ludo? You rarely call me by my true name?" Buff acknowledged with surprise.

"Master? You didn't quit?"

"No I was forced to by magic. I would never leave your side unless there was no other choice!" The monsters all cheered in delight as they ran to hug their friend.

"That's my monster." Buff smiled as they opened a portal and headed home. He could overhear everyone talking about how intense they need to train. They were scared for their friend and leader and would do anything to improve from now on.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

Marco and Star continued talking about their days events as they sat down at the Butterfly dining table. Moon and River smiled realising that they had come to some sort of agreement.

"So Star, Marco, What did you get up to today?" Moon asked curiously. They both looked at each other and chuckled.

"Well we somehow ended up inspiring a monster uprising and I realised that sometimes even though you have the best intentions and only want to do what's right... What's right for you isn't what's right for everyone and you may end up hurting those you care about." River and Moon looked at Star in shock. They weren't sure what was more shocking, the monster uprising or the growth their daughter displayed.

"And I learned that a relationship takes give and take. I may not be able to give everything Star desires but I can meet her half way.." Marco smiled at Star who beamed back. Moon felt River hold her hand under the table and met his glance to see how proud and happy he was. Now wasn't the time to pick at things but accept them.

"So Pumpkin! Anything else interesting happen?" River asked excitedly. Star racked her thoughts and then jumped up in glee.

"You'll never believe this! Marco has a middle name!" She started. Marco blushed and faced palmed as Star told her parents his full name. They laughed together before recounting their adventures back to the castle. The guards posted around the room all had smiles on their faces. For a long time the dining room was a lecture hall for the Princess to be reminded of all her duties at the end on the day but now, it was a bright and vibrant room. Full of stories, dreams and family. The foursome chatted away until they were full before bidding each other good night. Marco walked Star back to her room before heading next door to his own. He settled down and fell asleep while smiling.

The next morning Marco got dressed quickly to wake Star up. They'd put their troubles behind him and it was time to get back to their usual routine. That was what he thought until he stepped out into the hall and was immediately forced to rush into action. A maid was running from a magical beast and he moved quickly to subdue the beast and rescue the maid.

"Sir Marco! Thank you! Thank you so much!" The maid cried as he comforted her. She was terrified. He looked down the hall and noticed that it was only this area of the castle affected by the strange plant life webbing around the walls. He shook off some nasty reminders of the purple lined walls that still haunted him and escorted the maid back to a safe area. He instructed her to get some guards to seal off the area.

"Star?" Marco called as he kicked open her bedroom door. A flock of birds and butterflies flew from her room as Star was swinging across the room on vines.

"Wow, Marco! I just love what you've done with the place!" She yelled as she swung, suddenly the vine she was on snapped and she went flying into his arms.

"Saved me again Diaz! Keep this up and you'll take point lead on Princess rescues." Star joked as she marvelled at the room around her.

"What? I didn't do this." Marco laughed, thinking she was kidding. In his head he took note of the rescue as he was keeping tally of how many times they'd helped each other. Star had caught him once so he'd destroyed the paper trail of their tally.

"Well, somebody did?"

"'Somebody'? Birds, Rainbows, and Butterflies... Butterflies Star. This has to be you."

"Sorry, it wasn't me but I'll help clean it up. If we're quick we won't be too late for breakfast!"

"But wait Star-"

"Hey do you have those cubes? The one that cleans things up."

"Star they can't fix everything."

"So they can't fix this?"

"I didn't say that." Marco reached into his bag and grabbed a vial. He threw it at the source of the vines and the liquid inside was absorbed by the plants.

"Now all we need is a flame and-" Marco watched in horror as Star blasted fire at the plant. He grabbed her and ran to the window as the flames blasted the glass from the frame. Star was laughing as they swung from the tower, kept up by his trusty grapple hook. When the flames died down they headed back in and Star was amazed that all the plants were gone. Marco rushed to check on the Knights who all hid behind their shields to avoid the flames, Marco was grateful that they were use to dealing with Star.

"Come on Marco! We'll be late!" Star grabbed his arm and dragged him off. He apologised to the knights again as they went about their day.

Today was a study day. Star was going over her magic with Glossaryck. She had been trying to explain to him that the spell she was learning felt like it wasn't fully developed. He was curious as to what about the hundred year old spell was lacking to her. She asked Marco to help spar with her and demonstrate the difference. Star had noticed that the original spell had lacked a finishing stance that could almost double the spells output. It was like the Princess of the time hadn't really completed it rather she just added it in. Glossaryck remembered at the time the spell was deemed impressive and almost unbelievable but now it was being considered incomplete and lacking. He added the Princess' additions to the book and added her name. Star had freaked out as it was her first entry in the book. Her first contribution to the future of magic. After Marco returned to his studies before being invited out by River to attend a Knight Fight. It was a small test of strength on friendly terms to solve issues that Knights may have with each other when the issue was bigger than what they'd use their squires to settle. The knights all liked Marco and in the end he ended up joining in a battle royale with the Knights and Squires but got knocked out when River had tripped on his beard meat and taken them both out. They met up with Moon and Star who had enjoyed some Mother, Daughter time as they went through some royal documents. The foursome met up for dinner and enjoyed another meal together. Once more they bid farewell and all headed to bed.

In the middle of the night a furious knocking at his door woke up Marco. He pulled on a top and opened it to find the maid he saved earlier looking distressed.

"Sorry? What's the problem?" He asked her concerned. She had refused to give him her name as it was improper to be called by their name rather than their station so he wasn't sure how to address her.

"Sir Marco... The strangeness has started again.." She pointed to Star's door as some lights and various other weirdness was coming from it.

"I'll take care of it, head home for the night, it's well past your working hours." He noticed one of the Knights heading off from guard duty and called him over to walk the maid home.

"Star?" Marco asked as he pushed the door open. He had to duck as a beam of magic flew past his head. He dropped down, noticed Star pointing her wand randomly as she walked around snoring.

"Sleep spells?" He questioned as he rushed in. He jumped over the weird snakelike creature that she conjured and dodged the now living bean bag before grabbing her and pinning her to the bed. He knocked the wand from her hand and looked down to see her face blushing furiously red as she looked up at him.

"...marco..." She said quietly and nervously. He was worried she was hurt when he realised that she had just woken up to him pushing her down onto the bed and climbing on top of her. He jumped up and apologised again and again, being so distracted he didn't notice the bean bag coming up behind him.

"Lightning Twinkle Rescue!" Star had grabbed her wand and quickly turned everything back to normal, leaving the bean bag to fall at Marco's heels.

"Thanks Star, you saved me there!" She nodded in response, still bright red.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"You were spelling in your sleep! That must be why you don't remember the magic from this morning!" He exclaimed as it suddenly made sense.

"Oh, no! You gotta fix me! Come on Marco! I just got the handle of the wand, if I screw up now they might take my name out of the book." As much as Marco thought she looked cute while she was stressing he wanted to help.

"I got it! I'm gonna help you with psychology!"

"Psychology?"

"Psychology, yes Star..."

"That's a.. Séance right?" Star questioned.

"No... Not a ritual to summon the dead... It's a science... Particularly the science of the mind."

"Of the mind? Wait you can summon the dead?"

"Not now Star but yes Psychology is like karate for your mind. I'm going to help you understand yourself."

"Cool... I'm ready?"

"One sec..." Marco ran from the room then, after a moment or two, returned wearing a different outfit. He had smart dress shoes, black trousers and a white shirt. He had a pull over sleeveless jumper and to top off his outfit was a pair of glasses.

"...oh." Was all Star could say as she felt her face flushing red. She hid how much his smart outfit had affected her and sat on her bed.

"Dr Marco. Ph.D! At your service!"

"What does Ph. D stand for?"

"You wouldn't get it but my mum used to joke that it was pretty handsome dude..."

"She was right.." She whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing... So Psychcology!"

"Yep! Let's begin Star. I'm going to try administer a series of tests to uncover what's bothering you! First, is test number one, Role Playing. I want you to pretend to be someone close to you."

Star smiled widely before running from the room and returning dressed up as him.

"Hi... I'm Marco... I'm so mysterious and have a unbelievable past! I look so handsome in these weird skinny trousers and my bright red hoodie. Ooh look a problem, let me fix it with my weird Séance which I can't explain... But I can't explain why I can't explain... That's unexplainable. I know cool karate and have this cute little mole! Fear me! The Red Knight!" Marco face palmed as he watched Star perform their karate drills but adding sound effects. He wanted to critique her impression of him but more so wanted to pretend he had never seen or heard any of it."

"Test number two!" Marco had finally gotten her to stop pretending to be him but she didn't want to change clothes so sat smiling widely in his hoodie.

"I want you to paint the most impact-ful moment of your life." Marco asked as Star got to painting. It was nearing the early hours when she tugged on his arm and pointed to her picture.

Marco looked as she had drawn a collage of different moments. It was incredible how good she was but more so it was amazing how most of the images was of the two of them. He could see them dancing together on that first night in the bounce lounge. Marco punching the noble down the stairs. The two in the cave full of coloured rocks. The three sitting with Ocean. The final at the festival and Star winning the maze game. The pair riding clouds and surfing a volcano. The shopping in quest buy. Eating dinner together. Marco looked as the moments ranged from super intense to one of them sleeping on a grassy hill.

"Star..."

"Sorry I know you said the most but to me it's all important... It all matters to me so I didn't want to leave any out.." Marco was almost shaken to realise just how much space in her heart he filled. He wanted to return the favour but knew if he was given the same task she would be but the final corner to him. She was so bright but even she couldn't hide the darkness that came with him. He decided to compliment on her painting and reminisce over the moments.

"Okay Star, Final test... Ink blot. Tell me what you see?"

"Spilled ink.. Wait no... An ink blot.. Do I win now?" She said excitedly.

"Okay, no-no-no. What does this remind you of?" As he held up a spiky ink blot.

"The burnt forest... It reminds me of danger.." Marco was surprised he got such a solid answer but pushed forward.

"And this."

"My mother... It reminds me of my mum. It's the pose she takes when she's about to tell me off.. She towers above and looks down at me, ashamed." Marco grew worried as he turned to the third one.

"Now what about -ugh, wait. Hold on, this is a mistake." He went to change it from a single dot when he noticed Star grow stiff and her eyes grow fearful.

"It reminds me of my nightmares... Of losing everything and everyone. That no matter what I do and how strong I become I'll never be able to stop the bad coming."

"I think we've found it Star.." Marco put down the cards and rushed to hug her. She was surprised but returned his hug. Marco didn't know why but he felt like it was his fault she was seeing these dreams.

"What's wrong..?"

"You are bottling your fears... I think maybe you should speak to your mother about these dreams. Maybe she had something similar. Then you can be on the first step to recovery!"

"Recovery!" She said in joy. She agreed to speak to her mother and pushed him out the room. He hesitated to leave as he was worried but walked back to his room. Inside Star slid against the back of the door groaning at herself.

"Why! Why did you say that!?" She questioned herself. She got up and threw herself on the bed before screaming into her pillow.

It wasn't long before they had to be up so she didn't bother going back to sleep. Instead she got dressed and went to speak to her mother. The pair was missing at breakfast leaving Marco and River alone to head into the town and find some street meat. Marco was still worried about Star but couldn't afford to not focus since River was running off to do something else strange.

The pair didn't really see each other for the rest of the day and neither brought it up at dinner. They headed off to bed once more.

Marco was laying in his bed, unable to sleep. He was too caught up with the night before and thinking about Star when she kicked open his door and started blasting around the room. His bed was hit and it turned into a giant cat balloon. Marco used his feet to push against the ceiling so he didn't get crushed. He turned to see some hands trying to grab Star but was being repelled by her laser blasts. Marco jabbed the bed with a flying screwdriver that flew past and dropped down on top of Star. She woke up and looked up to see his underwear flying past.

"Undy pants? Oh... Marco's naked!" She started to look around eagerly when he tapped her head.

"No I'm in my jamjams. Look." He pointed at a grotesque looking monster.

"I want your face!" It screamed at them. Marco wondered what evil and vile monster had come for them.

"Ugh, you weren't sleep-spelling Star! You were just defending yourself subconsciously against that.. Monster!"

"Wow! I'm hard core! And don't be silly Marco, that's not a monster that's Princess Smooshy!" Star chuckled. Marco looked back at it and really wondered what the hell was the difference between monsters and 'that'.

"I came here for your face! To steal your face! You hurt me in my butt!" She turned to show her behind, revealing that one of the poor tiny narwhal's was still stuck there. Star quickly used her magic to pull it back while Marco rocked it in his arms, trying to not picture the horror it endured near 'that'. He shuddered looking at the creature, he didn't know why but it crept him out.

"Could you... Stop yelling? It's the middle of the night and I don't want to worry the castle staff?"

"Well, I'm sorry. I don't have any ears. Mirror Phone!" She yelled before snapping a image in the mirror. It was a new feature they had added which most people had found to be annoying and rude.

"I'm on the run from St. O's" Star shuddered as Marco remembered the warning Ludo had given him. _"So they keep things like this there? No wonder he said it was a horrible place!"_

"Well, you can't stay here. I don't want to go to St. O's!" Star seemed to act like even saying the name would bring disaster onto you. Smooshy laughed at her response before smiling with an evil smile, or at least that's how Marco saw it.

"Oh, you're going to St. O's!" She laughed again before beginning to monologue.

"You see, we're both big girls. We got the same highs and lows, the same east and west. You can hardly tell us apart. Except for in the face." She stopped to take another photo.

"Mirror Phone! So I'm gonna laser finger your face off of your head. Oh, you can have my face. See, I'm gonna wear your face, and then you can go to jail. 'Cause you look like me. It's just a classic face-switch scenario." She finished explaining before looking at the two. They were out of breath crying with laughter on the floor.

"Oh... Oh my ribs hurt! Star! Star! Did you hear that!" Marco cried as he clutched at his ribs.

"I know! Oh... Oh my! I can't believe it! Hahaha!" The pair continued laughing for a while before picking themselves up and wiping their tears. Their laughter was still there but they managed to at least reply to her.

"Oh, yeah. Oh, That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Marco laughed again. Smooshy's brows furrowed in anger as she felt humiliated by them.

"It's not funny!" She ran to grab Star but was immediately flipped onto the ground by Star and punched unconscious.

"What was her plan?"

"I don't know? Grab me and hope I don't try to break free, use magic or resist in any way?"

"But surely she was gonna use a portal to get away? Why would she need to go anywhere for that? I mean... Was she going to run away then open a portal and leave slowly till we stopped her."

"Haha... I mean you heard her last plan right?" The pair had to get through another raging burst of laughter until they could move again. They tied up the Princess and threw her into a supply cupboard.

"I'll notify the guard in the morning." Marco laughed as they went out onto Star's balcony to cool down. All the laughing had caused them to get all hot.

"Wow, Marco, you really saved me there!" Marco cheered and smiled widely.

"You're still keeping score in your head aren't you?" Star almost started laughing again as he looked at her in such shock.

"I don't get it? Why is this such a big deal to you?" Marco thought for a moment before replying.

"I don't know... I guess I've been on my own, looking out for myself that I'm not use to having someone help me so much. I feel like I'm failing or I'm not good enough if I need help." Star reached across and took his glasses for herself.

"Ahem, Star Ph. G, That's Pretty Hot Girl to you. Marco, You are absolutely amazing! You're awesome and unbelievable and the fact you've gone this long without needing help speaks volumes. I can't believe I even had to manage without you around as now I known I need my wing man, my back up and my best friend. Forget that stupid list... All that matters is that we have each other's back." She smiled warmly at him before folding up the glasses and sliding them into his pocket.

"Yeah... But this time we saved each other!"

"And next time, we will too."

* * *

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* * *

Elsewhere in Mewni. A castle stood alone across the sharp mountains and dead trees that littered the landscape. It's spiked towers illuminated by the purple glow of the dark clouded sky. From a distance one could make out the eyes of the gargoyles as they stared out onto the skeleton filled plains. The last feature that gave way to the entrance was a pair of flaming torches that lit the front of the mismatched castle. To enter here would surely be the end but to those that resides within the walls of Castle Avarius it was home.

Inside the dark castle Ludo sat on his spiked throne with his head in his claws. He let his head rest on his desk as he faced the empty chair in front of him. He flicked the first skull on his skull cradle and watched as they swung back and forth, slightly hypnotising the kappa with it's rhythmic hollow clinking. He turned to a birthday present he had received the year before. A pencil holder in the shape of Star being impaled. He took the pencils out and twirled the holder within his hands. Ludo had been trying to come to terms with the revelation that Star might be the very answer he'd been striving for. That everything he had promised his people was wrong and that somehow he had to become a bridge between monsters and mewman. After the kidnapping the monsters had been even more motivated to try and steal the wand.

There was a firm knock at the door and Buff Frog walked in. He noticed Ludo had removed the pencils and had been looking at the holder. Buff knew more than any that below the gruff and dirt Ludo had the people who followed him at heart. A Prince in name only but who had the potential to be more. Not all the monsters that followed Ludo knew of his heritage as one of the lost royalty of the monsters age. The Avarius linage was as old as it was treasured by those who still loved them. It was the monsters themselves that had begged the Avarians to not fight but to sign a deal as they didn't want to lose them. Time, however, had been cruel and had warped the family resulting in Ludo. A fallen son whose only purpose was to liberate his people and take the very power that threatened them for his own. Buff was one of the few who was privy to this information and knew just how much Ludo risked to be who he was. He put down a glass of swamp water on the desk before taking a seat before Ludo.

"Ahh Buff Frog! How are you faring! I hope you aren't in too much pain! I know the Princess and Marco can be pretty rough sometimes." Ludo asked with a worried gaze behind his beak. Buff hid his smile as he felt the care he was afforded would never have been given by anyone else.

"Buff Frog is fine Master Ludo. A little rest and I will be good as new! I am just happy with our near capture of the wand. We are nearly approaching our goal." Buff stated as if to test the waters. He could see the hesitation in his masters eyes once more, the same hesitation that made Buff want to speak to Marco and Star in the first place.

"Of course! The wand will be mine!" Ludo declared. Buff felt a little guilty hearing Ludo's cheer devoid of real emotion so decided to move onto the next phase of his plan.

"I know it must be true! However I feel like we are still lacking Master Ludo. Our number grows but so does the number of monsters not trained to fight to the standard that should be expected of your leadership."

"Go on?" Ludo asked, curious where this was leading.

"To tackle this Buff Frog has come up with solution. I sent out a notice with Boo Fly that we are accepting the very last applicants for the army. With the members we have already gained and these new recruits we should be fully equipped to fight the Princess and any addition threats." Ludo gulped as he played with the thought of having a larger army.

"However, with all these new members to consider our training would need to start from scratch. To find those who work well together, those with abilities and those who can be the most useful. It would take time and resources and we would not be able to go after the wand for a while. A harmful delay to the cause but one that may lead Master Ludo and all monsters to victory." Buff finished and let Ludo mull over the news. He could see the smile that his master tried desperately to hide, after all, Buff had been watching Ludo the longest.

"So... To be clear... We would hire new monsters, start all the intense training we have just finished all over again and be unable to get the wand for a large amount of time... And everyone is on board with this and thinks this is a good idea!?" Ludo asked almost hesitantly.

"Exactly my lord! Well almost, it may take a very large amount of time to be ready. Buff Frog has spoken to all of the founding members of Master Ludo's army and each member has agreed that we need to be stronger. The near success has shown them the potential they have hidden within but my kidnapping, I'm afraid to say, has made them all feel like it isn't enough. Lord Ludo does everything he can to make the right decisions for us, decisions many of us would rarely understand but I think Master Ludo knows this is the right decision." Ludo could no longer contain his sharp grin, his most trusted friend had brought him exactly what he needed.

"Exactly Buff Frog, you always see the same picture I do. We have tasted near victory and it is as sweet as the most sweet of swamp water. However, it is not enough. We are not ready to pose a serious threat to anyone, least of all the Princess and Marco. Please proceed with this plan and we will begin to truly embrace the future of Monster Kind." Buff stood and saluted Ludo before leaving Ludo to celebrate his new distraction.

"I mean... If the monsters I already had were that bad at stealing the wand the rest who will come must be even worse! I'll hire them all!" Ludo declared as he span in his chair. A path forward finally clear for the tiny Kappa.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

"I'm bored?" Star looked down to the sky and wondered if she let go would she fall straight past the clouds into the great beyond.

"...Me too." Marco moaned from the ground above her. Her cheeks began to glow as she smiled brightly at him.

"You too!? Does this mean what I think it means?" She jumped down from the flagpole she was hanging upside down from and pulled him up from sitting down.

"And what exactly do you think this means?" Marco questioned, he had a bad feeling about this.

"That it's Star and Marco time! We should go do something! An adventure or something cool!" She declared with a newfound excitement. Marco thought about her request and tried remembering what Moon had told him before.

"But your mum said she wants us to stay in the kingdom for the day as we... As you have royal guest over for the late dinner tonight. We need to be here for that and we can't go far as you have to be close by to get ready in time." Marco reminded her. Star started to pout as she remembered the reason why they were bored in the first place.

Glossaryck had headed out to the Magical High Commission for a routine check up, meaning that she had to miss her lesson for the day. It didn't really matter as she was beyond where she was expected to be by any standard in her training. She had done her courtesy classes for the week and her and Marco had trained with the Knights to improve hand to hand combat. As far as anyone in the Kingdom was concerned Star was the picture of the perfect Royal Princess. She had nothing left to do and now suffered for it.

"What about a trip to that new restaurant? The one that the maid mentioned had opened nearby?" Marco asked randomly. Star focused on him and nodded for him to continue.

"Erm.. We could... I dunno.. Go shopping, see how all the merchants and shop keepers are doing while having some fun. It'll look good for your PR that we've been working on and then head to the restaurant and a few other food places? What do you say?" Marco asked with a confident smile, thinking like it sounded like a good idea. Star, on the other hand, was experiencing what happened when your mind went from 0 to 100 in a few seconds.

 _"This is Princess Star Butterfly, Calling in attention of all others?"_ Star called loudly in her own mind.

 _"Princess Star reporting for duty!"_

 _"Princess Butterfly reporting for duty!"_

 _"Princess reporting for duty!"_

 _"hahaha... Duty... Sounds like poop!"_ Came a forth and final voice. Inside her head sat the council of Stars. The very emotions inside her and the voices she spoke to when confused and needing help.

 _"It's been a while ladies, I'm sure you can understand why you are all here."_

 _"Yes Princess Star Butterfly! It is clear!"_

 _"Like crystal clear!"_

 _"Like so clear that it's undeniable!"_

 _"Did he just ask us out on a date?"_ The five Stars all nodded in union as they agreed on the events that just took place.

 _"What do I do?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Well... Do I say yes?"_

 _"Of course you say yes! Just think about it! In the last few days you two have been rock solid! So good and when he pushed us down..."_ They all let out a satisfied sigh as they remembered waking up to Marco pinning them to the bed.

 _"In my book... That trumps when we saw the abs..."_

 _"...Amateur..."_ One of the Stars said with a arrogant laugh.

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"Well how could you value seeing some abs over feeling his body above you, him holding you down so close you could feel his breath and hear his heart beating!"_

 _"Because... ABS!"_

 _"...A valued argument Miss Butterfly."_

 _"Why thank you Miss Butterfly!"_

 _"Enough! Come on gals! I came here for help!"_

 _"You don't need our help! Just say yes... And quickly before he starts to worry."_ Star snapped back attention to find Marco waving his hand in front of her face concerned.

"Star? You okay?" He asked as he held his hand to her forehead making sure she didn't have a temperature.

"Ofcourse!Surelet'sgoonadate!" She said in one mouthful, much too quickly for him to hear. She remembered the first time she had asked him to join her on an adventure.

"I mean... Of course.. Let's go!" She smiled as she jumped into the air, she turned her head to see the many shops in Mewni waiting for them. Marco set the pace walking in front as his mind finally caught up to what exactly had just happened.

 _"Wait... Did I just ask Star to go on a date? Oh my... What was I thinking...?"_ Marco put on a big grin to hide the internal screaming as the pair rushed to their first of many encounters.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

Sitting in front of a cheerful Ludo was a short monster with many eyes. He seemed rough and sloppy. His shirt seemed to give way to his bulging stomach and was littered with stains. He had decided to keep wearing his hat inside which Ludo wondered whether it was poor manners or just a fashion choice.

"So Mr... It says here that your name is Lazy eyes?" Ludo tried to keep his smile as every fibre of his being was saying this person was the worst choice he could make. A feeling that today made him sure that he'd hire him.

"Yeah ha no that's just what my friends call me. It's cause like.. Sometimes... Like.. Three of my eyes are just like.. Whoa! Then do their own thing. My names Jared but you can call me Lazy eyes bro!"

"Any previous work experience... Lazy eyes?"

"Eh, previous job experience? Nope. No one's ever been dumb enough to hire me." The monster seemed to respond with confidence but for some reason Ludo felt like he could see through the façade.

"Then consider me that dumb no one. My name is Ludo Avarius. Heir to the Avarius throne. I pledge to give you a chance to discover the very talent you hold within. To rise above yourself and be the monster you were born to be rather than the... Lazy thing you have been forced to be." Ludo was expecting a smug response but when he looked at the six-eyed creature he saw his many eyes full of tears.

"Really!? You are actually gonna give me a job! Oh.. Oh my god my dad's gonna be so whelmed about this! I promised him that I'd do anything to get this job but I mean... I have no experience, I'm an idiot and all I have is over confidence but everyone just sorta gave up on me... Thank you... Thank you so much Master Ludo! I won't let you down my little bro!"

"Excellent. Well if you follow the monster who showed you in he will show you to your quarters, although you are free to only commute to work. He will also explain how the job works and introduce you to the training course we will be undertaking to become a force to be reckoned with." Ludo and Buff Frog waved the tearful monster away. They looked at each other in shock and confusion at the strange personality change the monster had.

"Is it really that hard to find jobs for monsters?" Ludo questioned as he wrote down Jared 'Lazy Eye's' name on the employee list.

"Master Ludo, I have told you before but for Monsters, you are really the only notable employment. Everything else is threatened by the Mewman's random guard patrols or suffer from a lack of resources. Working for you, while you may not know it, is like badge of pride for monsters." Ludo noticed Buff Frog hiding a smile as he turned to go and let the next applicant in. He thought about what Marco had once said to him. _"When a time comes that you can yourself see that she is the one who will guide Mewni into the future and be the answer to these problems... Help her do so. She will need the help of a monster who other monsters listen to and I think that's you."_ The boy had told him that Star Butterfly would be the one to lead Mewni into the future but that she would need help. The help of a monster who can lead the others into that bright future. Maybe this was exactly what he needed to do, to unite all monsters for the day that he could be of aid. He smiled at the thought, he wanted to believe in Marco and in that future but if in the case that Marco was wrong, he would have the army ready that could help take that future himself, either way, Ludo was going to do what had to be done.

The rest of the applicants went into a similar way as Lazy eyes.

Next up was Slim Neck, or as he was named as a child, Rex. Ludo often wondered why Monsters chose to give themselves nicknames and use those instead of their real names.

"So what weaknesses do you have?"

"Weaknesses? I don't have any." The monster said confidently before making a strange sound letting his head fall to the left. Ludo could tell that it was a common event since he didn't even blink when it occurred.

"HIRED!" Buff quickly showed him out to avoid another display like the first applicant.

Shaky Horns was next, or as she was named as a child, Sarah. She was a female pig-like monster with horns. Ludo was sort of disgusted by the pink sweater she was wearing but smiled nonetheless.

"How do you find yourself under pressure?"

"How am I under pressure? Awesome!"

"Hmm, is that so?" Ludo was a little more hopeful of this applicant.

"Uh, yeah. Um, w-why? Did you hear otherwise? I can't take it anymore!" Sarah was trembling and shaking. She started to scream before running and jumping out of the window.

"..Buff Frog?"

"I'll go find her and let her know she was hired."

"Thank you... Could you send Bearicorn in to help until you get back." The moment Buff left Ludo started to silently cheer as the standard dropped further with each applicant.

The fourth applicant made him smile the very moment he stepped in the door. The monster was large, fluffy and was happily donning a pair of curly horns. Ludo smiled even wider.

"Hello, Please introduce yourself."

"Well future best friend! I am Fluffy although my other name is Skull Slayer." Ludo stared at him with a dead pan. He wasn't sure which was the name he was born with and which was his nickname. He decided to stick with Fluffy.

"So Fluffy, Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"Where do I see myself in ten years? Oh, We're best friends and we hang out all the time sharin' feelings and holdin' hands!"

"Hired! Bearicorn will see you to your work station!" Before Bearicorn could show him out he jumped forward and hugged him tightly. Ludo felt like he was being embraced by a cloud from the sky and honestly could have just fell asleep right there.

"Thanks best boss!" Fluffy skipped from the room waving in the next applicant.

Ludo smiled as he welcomed the next few applicants, he was getting into his grove now.

"uhfjsdfh jshuosdfhudfh dfosdfhsdjsdfj" Babbled Three-Eyed Potato Baby.

"Don't you already work here? Either way, you make absolutely no sense! You're Hired!"

"Soft... So soft.." Said the squid like monster who was stroking his little pet. His hair was slicked back and he wore large glasses. He also seemed to sparkle.

"He does look soft, you are both HIRED!" Buff returned in time to peel the monster off of Ludo and stop the pet from nuzzling him. After he was showed out Ludo asked Buff Frog and Bearicorn to stop them from hugging him if he was going to make it through the rest of the applicants.

"..." Ludo watched as the pudgy jackalope like monster in front of him sat in silence. They looked as threatening as a pillow.

"Hired?"

"You know what Buff, just go and tell the rest of them that they are hired. Tell them it's a position pending review so they don't ask questions." Buff smiled before nodding in response. He disappeared from the room leaving Ludo to spin in his chair.

Ludo stopped to take a sip of his drink when he noticed a reptilian monster sitting opposite him. He was wearing a suit and sported a rather intimadating toothy grin.

"Hello?"

"West Mewnian Swamp Water. Or do you drink from the bottle?"

"...Where did you come from?" The Lizard seemed to tense slightly, as if the conversation was not quite how he thought it would be.

"I let myself in."

"When?"

"After you hired me?"

"I hired you? Oh Yes, You were meant to follow Buff Frog to the induction." Ludo smiled at the Lizard who seemed confused by what he was saying.

"Pardon?"

"Sorry were you not in the queue outside? We are hiring everyone."

"...Excuse my rudeness but is it really wise to hired any old monster? I saw the rabble that gathered today and they seemed... Below standard?" Ludo noticed some malice in his words but decided it could just be his normal tone.

"Today's goal was to raise our numbers, recently we have shown that time, patience and hard work can turn the worst of monsters into top performing moments of the Ludo Army."

"This seems like... A waste of time.. Do you not have an objective you wish to accomplish?" Ludo ignored the first part and carried on answering, a day of just letting things go had made him complacent.

"Of course! We aim to steal the Butterfly Wand and return Mewni into a place for monsters."

"Excellent... Where is the wand now?" Ludo looked up at Bearicorn who checked his Star Report.

"The latest news seems to be that she is on a date with the Marco Boy."

"A date? A stranger and the Princess... Seems strange but this could be a prime opportunity to steal the wand. She will be distracted and vulnerable. We should go now." Toffee grinned widely at him when a cough caused them all to look at the door.

"Master Ludo, could I speak to you?" Ludo nodded before walking over to Buff Frog.

"You sure we should trust him, boss? He was not with the others and was clearly waiting to speak to you alone."

"I hear you Buff Frog. He gives me the creeps. He's too... Blood thirsty. It took all our monsters weeks before they are ready to go after Star but he wants to go even before induction."

"Exactly Boss! I think we should just stick to those who have joined us. I do not trust him."

"Another great idea and I trust you Buff Frog. You have shown loyalty to our cause that I could only dream off. I will see to it that this monster leaves this castle this instant." Ludo nudged him on the arm before jumping back onto his chair and raising the level to be above the lizard man.

"I never did catch your name?" Ludo pointed out.

"Toffee."

"Toffee?"

"Toffee."

"Well Toffee, I'm afraid that you are not quite what we are looking for here in the Ludo Army. We thank you for applying but we'll have to ask you to see yourself out." Ludo said with a big smile while pointing to the door. After a minute of silence it was clear that he wasn't leaving that easily.

"Pardon?"

"...You aren't hired?"

"Excuse me?"

"Better Luck Next Time?"

"...I'm confused? You are hiring everyone but not me although I have given you both an ideal time to attack the princess and the drive to do so... You must have been mistaken? Right?"

"Nope! You aren't hired. Thank you." Ludo jumped down from the desk and left the room, planning to see the new recruits. Buff followed after him leaving Toffee to be shown out by Bearicorn. He picked up the glass he brought in and left, he watched from the window as all the new recruits piled onto Ludo and hugged him before hoisting him into the air. Toffee crushed the glass in his claw before throwing it at the wall.

He departed the castle and turned back with a scowl. His plans had been changed, ruined by an unknown factor he could not predict. As far as Toffee was concerned this should not have been possible. Ludo, an easily manipulated fool. The Princess, strong but naïve, she will be easy to twist. These two key figures aren't acting how they should be. He heard rumors of the Princess' growth and maturity but he had put it down to the castle PR trying to cover up her troubles. Ludo not seeking the wand with no thought to the consequences is not normal. He must have encountered someone who changed him. The only unknown factor was the stranger. The boy. Marco. Toffee walked away snarling into the night, intent on finding out who exactly had messed with his plans.

* * *

 **/**

* * *

The clouds above drew closer together and grew darker in colour. The day had flown by for the Princess of Mewni and the Boy of Mystery. They had rushed through the streets trying everything they could. Marco had led Star to all the best food places he had tried so far in the Kingdom. Star wasn't too surprised as she knew that Marco loved food but she didn't realise he had been to nearly all of the most popular restaurants. The pair finally made it to the one the maid had recommended them and sat down for their meal. They talked through the whole thing, laughing happily as they did. The other guests couldn't hide their smiles to see the Princess having such a great time. As they were leaving the staff thanked them for their visit and promised the next meal was on them. Star had blushed as one of the waitresses had whispered to her _'Good luck on your date Princess!'._ After they had left Star had led Marco to some of the hidden places that only locals would know. They tried some light desserts from each place before the pair decided to head shopping with their stomachs now full. As they moved through the streets, enchanted by each others voice, not taking in anything but each other, neither had noticed the many smiles and warm eyes that watched over them. The residents of the kingdom were happy to see the pair out and about after all that had happened in the weeks just past and had joined together to make sure this date went perfectly.

Next on their plan, they went to see the clothing stores of Mewni. Marco was surprised to see that they had decided to try making a mewni version of his hoodie which Star had instantly loved and ordered several to be sent to the castle. They each picked out a few outfits and then some for each other. Star had found some traditional Mewman clothes for Marco to wear which made him feel silly but it made her laugh so he got them anyway. In return Marco had found a simple black dress, much like that of the maids. Star had loved it since it was so different from the usual bright colours she had worn. The staff were a little uneasy to sell the Princess clothes, thinking that she might prefer a much better quality product but after seeing the pair laughing together they just laughed with them. After paying and asking for the clothes to be sent to the castle the pair left again.

Once they had finished with both the eating and the shopping it was time for sight seeing. Since Marco had been living in the castle for a while he had the opportunity to see some of the sights but Star had a few she was saving for him.

Star led him through the streets until they found the public gardens of the kingdom. While they were public the gardens were hidden by several buildings. Like the food places Star took Marco too this was just another place that you would only find if you were local or if you had stumbled the wrong way. Marco loved looking through the flowers and the plants, he spoke to the people who managed it and managed to acquire some seeds for his own garden. Star sat on a bench happily watching as he talked about his own flowers. She didn't really understand a lot of the mumbo jumbo they were saying about how to raise certain ones but it passed the time. Star watched as the bright blue sky gave way to darkened skies. The clouds turned grey and the sun set. Marco and her carried on their walk until they reached the kingdoms gate. Neither was ready to say goodbye so they continued their walk out into Mewni. Marco had refused at first reminding Star that they were meant to be staying close for the late dinner when Star showed him a message from Moon. Apparently, unbeknown to Marco, Star and Moon had been talking and she told them that they only needed to make an appearance before bed so not to rush back and to enjoy themselves.

"So where are we going Star?" He looked over to see her staring at him. Her eyes seemed to glisten as she held him in focus.

"There is one more sight we can see, although it really depends on the timing."

"The timing?"

"Yup!"

"What exactly are we waiting for?" Marco asked as he felt the first drops of rain fall onto his forehead.

"That! Run!" Star grabbed his hand as they ran across the blades of grass. She started to laugh as the downpour grew heavier and he found himself laughing too, entranced by her contagious laugh. The pair tore through the rain and the dark until they found themselves beside a lake. Star paused and breathed out, allowing herself to catch her breath. She blew hot air onto her hands as she tried to warm them up. Marco quickly unzipped his hoodie and wrapped it around Star.

"Marco... I'm fine honestly I should have brought my own coat." Star could feel his warm through his coat. She went to instantly take it off but he stopped her by holding her arms.

"Star."

"Marco.. Seriously.. You keep it... I don't want you getting cold." She tried again but she didn't really want to push him away. She started to blush under his intense gaze.

"Star.."

"Marco.." Finally giving in she sunk into his arms, resting her head against his chest. The rain beat against them but all she could hear once more was his heart, a sound she had grown so attached to over the times she had heard it.

"..Yes.."

"..Thank you.." Star pulled away enough to look him in the eye. He was slightly taller than her but she was sure that time would only let him keep growing. He gazed down into her eyes, the same glistening was present, only seeming to shine more. They broke the sound of the rain with their shallow breaths. Each seemed to be more intense than the last as they drew closer together, their warm breath now caressing each others cheeks.

Marco and Star edged closer and closer together, each sure the other would stop but not willing to give up on the hope that they'd keep going. Marco closed his eyes as he edged nearer, Star responded in kind until all that mattered was that their lips were pressed against one another, a wave of heat flooding their bodies as they let their feelings get the better of them in the moment of temptation. Marco moved his hands up until he was holding her head as he kissed her more passionately. It wasn't the perfect kiss, as each kissed each other for the first time but to them there could not have been a more perfect moment. They let all their fears, their worries and their pasts be washed away by the rain as the moved their lips against the others. Star didn't know why but mixed with the rain were tears, tears of such happiness she couldn't describe. Her cheeks began to glow, lighting up the scenery around them. Neither noticed, nor would they have cared, all that mattered was each other. Under the cleansing dewdrops of the sky, neither stopping to question why. Why in the moment, when her lights broke out into the night, why this moment, felt just right. They fell to their knees, still kissing each other passionately. Star had wrapped his dangling sleeves around the back of his neck as she too wanted to feel closer to him, to be completely one with him. As time passed they needed to breath and the pair let their lips part reluctantly, they kept their foreheads pushed together as to not let the other go. Star had her eyes closed still when his voice finally got through to her.

"Star?"

"STAR!" Star snapped out of her illusion to find Marco looking at her confused. He had started to shake her to bring her back to reality.

"Are you okay? You said thank you and then kind of drifted off?"

"Oh sorry... Ermm.. Lost in my thoughts.."

"Ah.. Any you want to share?" Marco asked with a smile. He was glad she had froze when she did, as he, himself, wasn't sure how much longer he could have resisted wanting to get closer to her. Marco had pulled away thinking about all that he had to do and all those who counted on him. The guilt over whelmed him as he turned away from her. Star noticed his face and realised that once again, a moment that could have been was lost to something that had already been.

"Marco... What are we doing?" Star sighed heavily as she asked. She broke free from his hold and sat down beside the lake, ignoring how wet the ground was easily as she was already soaked. Marco took a seat beside her and they both stared into the lake.

"What do you mean?"

"Today... It was all a distraction.. Did it really mean anything?" Star thought about the day they just spent together, it was perfect, a wonderful and amazing time together but was it really real, or was it just an illusion like her day dream.

"Well... Why not?"

"What?"

"Why can't it mean something! We had so much fun spending time together and now here we are doing who knows what. It can mean something, nothing or everything. Every moment is precious and every moment with you is more so."

"We're friends right.."

"Of course Star!"

"...Maybe more..?" Marco paused before answering. He didn't turn to look at her face so he didn't quite know what expression she wore.

"Maybe.."

"But there are so many secrets in the way... Aren't there?"

"...I'm sorry Star."

"Heckapoo? Your origin? What you've done? Who you're running from? All questions I can't know the real answer too."

"Star.. It's-"

"-For my own good. I know.. Don't worry. Keep your secrets. Instead.. Let me share one of mine."

Before Marco could ask what she meant a flurry of lights seemed to appear from in front of them. Marco lost all train of thought as he stared through the rain at the dancing lights.

The two sat in silence, enchanted by the lights that began to fly around them. Marco looked closer and realised it was some kind of butterfly, it seemed to dance across the rain drops climbing higher and higher into the sky. Their paths were erratic but seemed so precise, as if it was the path they were always going to take. The pair watched as they flew high into the sky, ignoring the rain they didn't take their eyes off the butterflies until they disappeared into the dark clouds above leaving the pair in darkness. Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out a torch as Star made her wand light up. She stood up and pulled him to his feet. He shifted awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to say.

"...Star... About what just happened?" She moved her finger close to his lips and smiled tenderly at him.

"Leave it for now... We can talk about it tomorrow.. For now, we have to get back before we get in trouble for being late."

"Okay." Was all he could say as she grabbed his hand again and they ran into the storm to get home.

 **/**

He looked to the side at a calendar on the wall, it's numbers lit by the flames that flickered around the room. Standing up he confirmed that it was indeed time for him to make his appearance to her.

"667 Year have passed and tomorrow shall be the day. The day where our souls are bonded together, now and forever."

* * *

 **A/N: Special Mention! We would like to thank SakiCakes for the cover they have done for this story! Be sure to check them out and maybe see a hint to a future project we may be doing.**


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